Police are investigating after comedian Rosie Jones was the victim of an ableist and homophobic attack on a train, where a plastic bottle of wine was thrown at her and a friend.
The 35-year-old, who is also a writer and has ataxic cerebral palsy, which affects her movement and speech, said the perpetrators “shouted slurs” and mocked her voice, as well as that of comedian Lee Peart, who was with her on the journey.
Peart said in a video filmed on the train that he and Jones were “attacked by ableist and homophobic arseholes”. The footage, taken on Sunday (5 October), shows splatters of wine across the table and the wall next to where they were sitting in the carriage.
Pushers star Jones added: “Three people mocked both of our voices, threw wine at Lee. What a f***ing waste!”
Elaborating on the incident, Jones posted a message on Instagram, saying that she was intending to celebrate World Cerebral Palsy Day.
“Today was going to be about me celebrating all that is good and brilliant about having CP,” she wrote. “But on the train home from our gig last night, me and my good pal Lee were victims of ableism and homophobia.
“They mocked our voices, shouted slurs at us and even threw a wine bottle (plastic, thankfully). It was a stark reminder that my CP makes me stand out, and is often used as a weapon against me. Unfortunately, the worms of this world use my disability to try and make me feel like a victim. I am not.”
“People with cerebral palsy should never be made to feel like guests in an unwelcoming and hostile world which wasn’t set up for people like us,” Jones added. “We have just as much of a right to be here as anybody else. AND DON’T FORGET IT.”
Jones ended her message on a positive note, saying she is “proud to have cerebral palsy” and that setting up her cerebral palsy charity, The Rosie Jones Foundation, was her “greatest achievement to date”.
In a follow-up post, Peart said: “Thank you for your lovely, lovely messages we are both doing fine and yes we have reported it. The BTP [British Transport Police] took us home and were wonderful. Rosie Jones is a wonderful human.”
In a statement given to The Independent, the BTP said: “Officers were called to East Croydon railway station at around 10.30pm on Sunday (5 October) following reports of a group of people abusing and assaulting other passengers on a train from Brighton to Victoria.
“Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone who witnessed anything or has any information is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 672 of 5 October.”
In a post on Tuesday, Jones thanked her fans for the kind words they had sent her and that she was “feeling more myself today”.
Sharing pictures of her friends, Jones added that rather than focusing on the “negative and horrible s*** bags in the world,” she wanted to spread joy instead. “I feel so, incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such amazing family and friends who have time and time again showed up and made me feel not so alone,” she added.
“I know it’s sometimes hard to do, especially recently, but when things like this happen, we must focus on the brilliant people in life, who I still believe make up most of this world.”
Speaking to The Independent earlier this year, Jones said she felt that the UK was “going backwards” and that disabled people were being treated “unfairly”.
That being said, Jones added that she “grew up in a loving, happy, healthy home” and was supported by her parents, who told her she “could be anything, so I went out into the world fighting and became the person I am today”.
The Independent named Jones on the 2024 Women’s List, where she was credited with being “a staple on British small screens” and “delighting audiences with her trademark wit and comedic timing” in shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats and The Last Leg.
In 2023, Jones released a documentary tackling her cerebral palsy. Am I a R*tard? painted a sobering picture of what Jones must deal with on a daily basis.
Jones also created the 2025 Channel 4 sitcom Pushers, about a drug dealer with cerebral palsy. The show, which featured an inclusive cast of disabled actors was widely praised on release. In a four-star review, The Independent’s Katie Rosseinsky said the show was a “clever observational comedy that skewers attitudes to disability”.
