Daisy Ridley closes Instagram account after gun violence post backlash
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" star Daisy Ridley retreated from Instagram this week after she draw ire for her comments about gun violence during the Teen Choice Awards.
When Ridley closed down her official Instagram account Tuesday, the last post she'd made came after Sunday's awards show, during which she'd been moved by one segment featuring Alton Sterling's son and other gun violence victims and victims' families.
"Thinking about how lucky I am like......... Serious bit: as I sat in the audience yesterday tears were streaming down my face at the tribute to those that have been lost to gun violence," she wrote in the since-deleted post. "I didn't get a great picture of the incredible group that came onstage but they were so brave. It was a true moment of togetherness. We must #stoptheviolence."
Her words, though, were met almost immediately with a torrent of criticism and negativity, chastising the British actress for weighing in on the topic when she is not a U.S. citizen. Others pointed out that her film franchise features gun violence -- albeit with laser guns.
The comments continued through Tuesday, when Ridley canceled the account -- though it's unclear if the negative responses prompted her to do so.
Ridley left a copy of the post on Facebook up, but by Wednesday that was deleted as well.