Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Bonnie Christian

Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner says she 'couldn't go outside' and became 'very self conscious' after social media criticism

Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner says she "couldn't go outside" after receiving criticism on social media. (Picture: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Sophie Turner has said she became "very self-conscious" after receiving criticism on social media over her role in Game Of Thrones.

The British actress, 23, rose to worldwide fame while starring as Sansa Stark in the HBO fantasy show from 2011 but said comments online impacted her mental health.

Speaking to US talk show host Dr Phil on his podcast, Turner said: "I would just believe it. I would say, 'Yeah, I am spotty. I am fat. I am a bad actress'.

"I would just believe it. I would get (the costume department) to tighten my corset a lot. I just got very, very self-conscious."

Game of Thrones' Sansa Stark is played by British actress Sophia Turner (AP)

Turner said things got so bad she would hide away from her friends.

She said: "I had no motivation to do anything or go out. Even with my best friends, I wouldn't want to see them, I wouldn't want to go out and eat with them."

"I just would cry and cry and cry over just getting changed and putting on clothes and be like, 'I can't do this. I can't go outside. I have nothing that I want to do'," Turner added.

Turner is now one of the world's most recognisable actresses thanks in part to Game Of Thrones and will star in Marvel superhero film Dark Phoenix in June.

She is engaged to the singer Joe Jonas and is expected to walk down the aisle later this year.

Despite her mental health struggles, Turner said she never considered suicide but thought about it frequently.

She said: "It's weird. I say I wasn't very depressed when I was younger, but I used to think about suicide a lot when I was younger. I don't know why though.

"Maybe it's just a weird fascination I used to have, but yeah, I used to think about it. I don't think I ever would have gone through with it. I don't know."

Game of Thrones - Season 8 Episode 2 Preview HBO
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.