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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lollie King

Jameela Jamil claps back at Twitter trolls making coronavirus jokes

Jameela Jamil is no stranger to a Twitter spat, clapping back at critics about everything from body positivity to trans rights.

So when comedian Michelle Collins tweeted on March 4th, “Place your bets on who will be the first famous person to get Corona" adding, “Jameela doesn’t count” she wasn't about to take it lying down.

Jameela first called out the comedian by writing, "May you never suffer from chronic illness. May you never wake up in pain and swollen every f*****g day of your life. May you never struggle with an invisible disability. May you never be laughed at over it by people who have never met you," declaring, "To the bad place you go."

The tweet prompted a wave of others about Jamil getting coronavirus.

In response, the activist and actress posted a screengrab featuring some of the tweets with the caption, “If you’re gonna make a joke about how I am going to be the first actress with coronavirus, ya late and ya basic,”

Jamil has previously defended her health against trolls on Instagram, writing, “I have had to fight like a f***ing dog this week against false accusations, people framing my words, and deliberately taking them out of context, trying to discredit my entire integrity, and going after disabled members of my family.”

View this post on Instagram

Thank you @lauriepink for this. I have had to fight like a fucking dog this week against false accusations, people framing my words, and deliberately taking them out of context, trying to discredit my entire integrity, and going after disabled members of my family. And for what? To stop me from being an activist against eating disorders? To stop me from de stigmatizing conversations about mental health, suicides, sexual consent, abortions, women’s rights, trans rights? I’ve been in this business 11 years and am a smart woman. I wouldn’t lie in print or on camera knowing how permanent the internet is. Especially knowing how much our media loves to portray women as liars and hysterics. I always own up to any mistake I make. I never hide from it. I publicly learn from my mistakes with other people joining me, so we can grow as a community. I’ll be damned if some lies and conspiracy theories are going to get in my way. I have work to do. There are rights being taken away from marginalized people every fucking day under the current governments in this world, and the people who try to discredit those doing the work to fight for equality, rather than those trying to marginalize people further, are on the wrong side. At least we’ve started a huge mainstream conversation about invisible illness/chronic illness and the mockery and disbelief that comes with what is already a near impossible existence. So something good always comes of a shit storm. Big love for the messages of support and similar stories of gaslighting you’ve all faced. I’m so sorry. That’s so painful. But we are in this shit together, and nobody can stop us as one, we just have to not let them form cracks in our wall. Have a great fucking Sunday.

A post shared by Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamilofficial) on

She continued “And for what? To stop me from being an activist against eating disorders? To stop me from de-stigmatizing conversations about mental health, suicides, sexual consent, abortions, women’s rights, trans rights?”

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