Racist Twitter hell of Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones

Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones has been forced off Twitter after being bombarded by sexist and racist abuse.

The comedian told her 172,000 followers: ‘I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart. All this cause I did a movie.You can hate the movie but the shit I got today…wrong

She previously said: ’I feel like I'm in a personal hell. I didn't do anything to deserve this. It's just too much. It shouldn't be like this. So hurt right now.’

The campaign of hatred included Twitter users mocking up posts with vile homophobic abuse such as ‘gas dese goddam faggots to death’ and pretending she had posted them.

Others sent her videos of themselves screaming that they ‘hate niggers’, photographs of apes and abuse such as ‘big-lipped coon’.

‘I don't know how to feel,’ Jones said: ‘I’m numb. Actually numb. I see the words and pics and videos. Videos y'all. Meaning people took time to spew hate.’

Some of her fans had told her not to pay attention to the abuse, saying: ‘That's bullshit. Everybody knows an asshole check them for their hate.

‘I'm not stupid to not know racism exists. And I know it will probably live on way after me. But we have to make people take responsibility for the hate they spew. We have to stand up to it. block MFs but let them know they are racist and spewing hate.

 Jones, a cast member on Saturday Night Live who began stand-up while at college in the 1980s, called for Twitter to clamp down on trolls.

And she addressed her abusers directly saying: ‘As much as you want to thinks actors ain't human I want to give you something to think about. I work off pure passion for this game. I'm more human and real than you fucking think. I work my ass off. I'm not different than any of you who has a dream to do what they love.

‘I've never claim to be better or special. I just try to do my job as best as I can. Isn't that any of us y’all. So yea this hurts me! It's like when you think "OK I've proven I'm worthy" then you get hit with a shovel of hated.’

Among those rallying to her support was director Judd Apatow, who said: ‘We love you Leslie Jones.  The people who behave like that have to live with themselves.  And that must be painful.’

Published: 19 Jul 2016