The director of the Ghostbusters remake, Paul Feig, has mounted a fierce defence of star Leslie Jones after the Saturday Night Live regular threatened to quit Twitter over social media trolling about her role in the film.
I think today will be the day I get rid of Twitter. Gonna really be thinking on it. Not sure I want to need it anymore. Know what I mean?
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 8, 2016
Jones has been tweeting regularly in response to claims her casting as a “street-smart” New York transportation worker who joins three white academics in the new Ghostbusters team amounts to casual racism. The Twitter storm erupted last week after the debut full trailer for Feig’s remake debuted online, but pressure has continued to heap on the comic in the intervening period. On Tuesday, Jones wrote: “I think today will be the day I get rid of Twitter. Gonna really be thinking on it. Not sure I want to need it anymore. Know what I mean?”
In response, Feig tweeted: “Don’t leave us, @Lesdoggg. You are a goddess & one of the warmest funniest forces of nature I know. Fuck the haters.”
He continued: “And haters, attack me all you want but when you attack and insult my cast, you’ve crossed the line. Grow up and leave my cast alone.”
In response to a fellow Twitter user who suggested trolls were attacking the film rather than its cast, Feig added: “No, they’re attacking my cast personally. Look at @Lesdoggg mentions. They’re going after her and @melissamccarthy.”
Don't leave us, @Lesdoggg. You are a goddess & one of the warmest funniest forces of nature I know. Fuck the haters. https://t.co/rwh8CIxCk4
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) March 8, 2016
And haters, attack me all you want but when you attack and insult my cast, you've crossed the line. Grow up and leave my cast alone.
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) March 8, 2016
No, they're attacking my cast personally. Look at @Lesdoggg mentions. They're going after her and @melissamccarthy. https://t.co/xhq0iXwmPx
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) March 8, 2016
Prior to the current controversy, Ghostbusters was the subject of boycott threats last year after Feig signed on and announced his intention to build his new version around “hilarious women”. The new team includes Feig regulars Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig alongside Jones and fellow Saturday Night Live alumnus Kate McKinnon. Ghostbusters is due in cinemas from 14 July in Australia, 15 July in the UK and US.
