As unfortunate as it may seem, social media harassment of an actor who is part of a Star Wars project is happening again. Actress Moses Ingram, who plays Inquisitor Reva Sevander in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, denounced that he received racist attacks. After the successful premiere of the first two chapters, Ingram had to face criticism about his role. Including threats and racial insults in which she was accused of being “hired for diversity.”
Moses Ingram collected all the comments and He included them in several of his stories on Instagram. In the images you can see the virulence of the attacks focused on their ethnic origin. This is a new dimension of what seems like a wave of harassment and verbal violence coming from a particularly harmful fandom. In previous years John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran suffered similar situations. On this occasion, the reasons seem to be the same as forcing both actors to close their social networks for a while.
Ingram too recorded a video in his social networks in which he recounts how the experience makes him feel. “No one can do anything about it,” he explained. The actress explained that she had received “hundreds” of similar messages since the premiere of the program. “What bothers me is that there is a feeling that I should shut up and take it as inevitable… And I won’t.” Days before, the actress commented in several interviews that LucasFilm warned her that a similar phenomenon could occur. In fact, Moses Ingram was prepared for the possibility of harassment, although she admitted to being surprised “and bewildered” by its virulence.
“This is something that, unfortunately, will probably happen. But we are here to help you; you can let us know when it happens”, explained the actress about the support of LucasFilm. And although the words and the immediate accolade of LucasFilm and Disney to Moses Ingram, shows that the studies learned from previous experiences, it does not seem to be enough. The interpreter commented that she is overwhelmed by “the feeling of helplessness” in the face of what several sources called “onslaught of toxic behavior online.”
Again, the most toxic fandom attacks
Moses Ingram plays Reva Sevander, one of the main villains of the series Obi-Wan Kenobi from Disney+. And apparently it is his position that has drawn the attention of the most violent and noxious Star Wars fandom. One of the most interesting points of the character is that it suggests that the character is discriminated against in the select group of Inquisitors. The veiled political comment seems to have provoked an immediate and violent reaction against the actress and even against the program.
On the other hand, the advertising machinery of Star Wars, LucasFilm and Disney has mobilized in support of Ingram. The official account of the franchise @StarWars posted a message of support making the company’s position clear. “We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited as Reva’s story unfolds. If someone intends to make her uncomfortable in any way, we only have one thing to say: resist.”
Later, the account added another message, even more direct and incisive “There are more than 20 million intelligent species in the Star Wars galaxy, do not choose to be racist.” However, the attack on social networks against the actress does not stop. During the week, the actress had to deal with violent criticism against her performance or the fact that his character is irrelevant. Time and time again, the accent of bitter debate seems to center on Moses Ingram’s ethnicity and the inclusion of an African-American character in the franchise.
A ruthless journey through the fame of Moses Ingram
Moses Ingram has a short but illustrious career in show business. A Yale graduate in drama, she earned a nomination for her performance in queen’s gambit from Netflix. Her addition to the Star Wars mythology marks a significant step in the actress’s journey to recognition.
Will Disney and LucasFilm be able to avoid extreme bullying situations like those experienced by John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran? For now it seems to have taken the correct measures. But the big question is inevitable: is network support enough in such a circumstance?