Erin Moriarty has spoken out on the misogyny and abuse she has faced from The Boys fanbase in an emotional Instagram post.
The Boys has been a massive hit for Amazon Prime Video, with its third season incredibly well-received and making a big impact on pop culture. TikTok, Twitter, and Reddit are all populated by memes starring its characters, but despite the goofier side of the fandom Moriarty has spoken out on how she feels poorly treated by misogynistic trolls who she feels have dehumanized her.
Moriarty shared segments of an article which spoke of how a show which tackles toxic masculinity, unfortunately still has a lot of viewers who do not understand the core theme, even after dedicating hours of their lives to it. She also emphasizes that her “empathy muscle” has only been strengthened after enduring trolls.
“I do feel silenced. I do feel dehumanized. I do feel paralyzed. I’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into this role (over & over & over again), I’ve grown UP in this character’s shoes (*emphasis on grown up – we change & evolve mentally AND physically). So with that I say: a) thank you to @butcherscanary b) this does break my heart – I’ve opened up a vein for this role and this kind of trolling is exactly what this role (Annie) would speak out against and c) everyone’s going through their own battle(s); let’s not add to that. I will never intentionally (and ESPECIALLY) publicly add to yours. This has only strengthened my empathy muscle and to anyone who comes at me: I see you, I I don’t hate you, I only empathize and forgive.”
The actress is one of few female roles in the series which is mostly populated by morally corrupted male superheroes, and again, is very much about toxic masculinity’s role in society alongside what literal power does to someone.
The Boys was recently at the number two spot on the streaming charts, with only The Rings of Power beating out it out for Amazon’s number one spot. All three seasons of the superhero satire are available to stream on Prime Video.
