The creator of “The Boys,” Eric Kripke, has defended main actress Erin Moriarty after she was attacked by fans for her appearance.
The Starlight star said on Instagram earlier this week that she felt “dehumanized” and “silenced” after getting harsh comments about her appearance, which worsened following the third season’s premiere. Moriarty also published pictures of a Medium essay titled “#IStandWithStarlight? : The betrayal of Erin Moriarty by ‘The Boys’ fans” that denounced the “misogyny” Moriarty had experienced.
On Wednesday, Kripke, the showrunner of the series based on a comic book from the mid-2000s, instructed viewers to “be kind” or quit watching the show.
“Hi trolls! First, this is the exact reverse of the show’s message,” he tweeted. “Two, you are hurting real people with real emotions. Be kind. If you can’t be kind, eat a bag of dicks, f*** off to the sun, and don’t watch #TheBoys, because we don’t want you.”
—Eric Kripke (@therealKripke) on Twitter
September 7, 2022
In her original post, Moriarty said, “I do feel silenced. I do feel dehumanized. I do feel paralyzed. I’ve poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this part (many times), and I’ve grown UP in this character’s shoes (*emphasis on grown up – we adapt and mature mentally AND physically).”
She said, “So with that I say: a) thank you to @butcherscanary, b) this does crush my heart – I’ve opened up a vein for this part, and this kind of trolling is precisely what this role (Annie) would speak up against, and c) let’s not add to it. I will never knowingly (and ESPECIALLY) add to yours in a public forum.”
The Medium essay author, whose handle is butcherscanary, also noted in the article that Moriarty’s “objectification contrasts the show’s message because Moriarty’s character, Starlight, battles against being “sexualized and silenced.”
Moriarty’s co-stars Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Chace Crawford, Karen Fukuhara, Jessie T. Usher, and Nate Mitchell all left supportive comments on the post.