Leslie Jones has reflected on an “unforgivable” Ghostbusters comment made by director Jason Reitman.
Reitman, whose father Ivan directed the original two 1980s Ghostbusters films, picked up the reins for Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), which followed Paul Feig’s 2016 all-female version.
The cast of Feig’s Ghostbusters film faced misogynistic abuse, with Jones herself being sent racist tweets ahead of and upon its release. Jones condemned the racism at the time, and retweeted the sickening posts for her followers to witness what she was experiencing.
Now, the former SNL star has reflected on the vitriolic abuse she received for starring in the film, which found itself at the centre of a concerted compaign to flop at the box office, as well as a later comment Reitman made that hinted at the film’s reception.
In an excerpt from Jones’s new memoir, shared by Rolling Stone, the comedian said she received many death threats for starring in the film, writing: “I can’t believe anyone would do this s*** to someone, anyone, for working. This is awful. I am in a movie. Death threats for something as small as that?”
The actor then called out Reitman for a comment he made about the all-female Ghostbusters film years later. After announcing his plans to make Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Reitman said he was “trying to go back to the original technique and hand the movie back to the fans”.
Reitman ultimately said said his remark “came out wrong” and that he has “nothing but admiration for Paul and Leslie and Kate and Melissa and Kristen and the bravery with which they made Ghostbusters 2016”.
But Jones said his words were “unforgivable”, writing: “The damage was done. Bringing up the idea of giving the movie ‘back to the fans’ was a pretty clear shout-out to all those losers who went after us for making an all-female film.”
Jones also claimed her experience working on the film was mired in frustration, alleging: “It was made clear to me at times during the process that I was lucky to even be on that movie.”
She said that, despite being told the filmw was going to make her career, “in the end, all it made for me was heartache and one big-a** controversy”.
Paul Feig’s all-female ‘Ghostbusters’ reboot— (Sony Pictures Releasing)
At the time Reitman annouced Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jones reacted to the news on X/Twitter, writing: “So insulting. Like f*** us. We dint count.”
Ghostbusters: Afterlife, starring Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard, became a box office hit fater being delayed four times due to Covid-19, and a sequel will be released in 2024.
The memoir Leslie F***ing Jones is out now.
