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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Olivia Petter

Jameela Jamil calls Piers Morgan 'bullying parasite' for sharing private Caroline Flack messages

Jameela Jamil has criticised Piers Morgan for sharing a private exchange between him and Caroline Flack about Jamil.

On Sunday, the Good Morning Britain host shared a screenshot of a direct message Flack allegedly sent to him in October.

It read: “Please have pictures ... I’m struggling with Jameela ... the hate she aims at me.”

The comments are thought to be in reference to criticism Jamil made on Twitter regarding a Channel 4 programme Flack was set to host titled The Surjury, in which people who want plastic surgery pitch their reasons why to a jury.

“Jameela Jamil is having a lot to say about online harassment, so in the interests of balance, here is a message Caroline Flack sent me last October after the same Jameela Jamil led an online pile-on against her regarding a new TV show she was doing,” Morgan tweeted alongside his screenshot of the message.

Jamil replied by clarifying her stance on The Surjury: “I simply said I found the show Surjury (not her) problematic for kids to watch.

“And that Love Island needed some more diversity. Both times Caroline instigated debate with ME even though I was not targeting or blaming her at all. I always just politely explained my point.”

The Good Place star went on to say that she was friendly with Flack, who died earlier this month, and referenced a previous tweet of her own in which she explained the online abuse she had recently faced had “triggered [her] to a near point of death”.

Jamil wrote of Morgan’s comments: “Using a dead woman who I was friends with as a weapon to try to create further harassment for me as I’ve JUST explained publicly that last week I felt suicidal ... is why he is this industry’s most problematic .

“My criticising a *show* did not aim any hate at Caroline.”

The 33-year-old added that out of respect to Flack, she would discontinue the conversation with Morgan.

“I will not allow this conversation to carry on in which she can’t respond or speak for herself,” Jamil tweeted.

“She would be disgusted her personal messages were shared and weaponised against a woman, by a bullying parasite she thought was her friend. I’m out.”

Flack was found dead in her north London home on Saturday 15 February; a lawyer for her family said she had taken her own life. 

The 40-year-old presenter had been charged with assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton last year and was due to stand trial. She denied the charge. 

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