Ghostbusters Star Leslie Jones Hounded Off Twitter by Racist Trolls

New Delhi: The all-female cast of the Ghostbusters reboot has earned its trailer, and now the film, torrents of vile abuse (Women playing the roles of men, Hollywood? How dare you!). Much of it was directed at the film's only black cast member, comedian Leslie Jones, who found her Twitter account snowed under by racial slurs and misogynistic insults. Ms Jones has now announced that she is quitting Twitter.
 

I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart.All this cause I did a movie.You can hate the movie but the shit I got today...wrong

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) July 19, 2016

The cruel comments on Ms Jones' size and skin colour, many of which she retweeted, were coupled with a fake Twitter account set up in her name that was posting crude tweets.

The 48-year-old actress spent much of Monday tweeting about her tormentors.
 

I don't know how to feel. I'm numb. Actually numb. I see the words and pics and videos. Videos y'all. Meaning people took time to sprew hate

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) July 19, 2016

 

I use to wonder why some celebs don't have Twitter accts now I know. You can't be nice and communicate with fans cause people crazy.

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) July 19, 2016

 

But I'm I that naive to think that some things was changing yes I was. We still live in a world where we have to say "black lives matter"

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) July 19, 2016

 

I'm not stupid to not know racism exists. And I know it will probably live on way after me. But we have to make people take responsibility

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) July 19, 2016

 

I feel like I'm in a personal hell. I didn't do anything to deserve this. It's just too much. It shouldn't be like this. So hurt right now.

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) July 19, 2016

Ms Jones also called out Twitter itself for not reigning in trolls.
 

Twitter I understand you got free speech I get it. But there has to be some guidelines when you let spread like that. You can see on the

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) July 19, 2016

Leslie Jones received messages of support from several people, including her director Paul Feig.

Last month, Ms Jones was hailed as a heroine after tweeting about designers refusing to dress her for the Ghostbusters red carpet:
 

It's so funny how there are no designers wanting to help me with a premiere dress for movie. Hmmm that will change and I remember everything

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) June 28, 2016

She was heard by designer Christian Siriano, who created this glamorous red outfit for her.
 

Just fabulous! @Lesdoggg pic.twitter.com/xxnoDHDJ6s

— Christian Siriano (@CSiriano) July 11, 2016

Paul Feig's Ghostbusters is a gender-reversed remake of the superhit '80s series. Leslie Jones co-stars with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon as the ghost-catchers. In a delicious piece of casting, Chris Hemsworth plays their secretary, manning the phones.