‘Outlander’ Star Sam Heughan Says He’s Faced ‘Six Years Of Constant Bullying’
Sam Heughan is getting candid about the way he’s been treated online. In a lengthy note posted to the actor’s Twitter account, he described “six years of constant bullying, harassment, stalking and false narratives.”
In the post, Heughan said that he felt the need to speak out because the harassment was affecting his family and his own mental state. He said that over the course of his time in the public eye, he and almost everyone he’d ever been associated with had been subjected to slurs, harassment and bullying.
Initially, the Outlander star had hoped that the abuse would taper out on its own, but now, he said he’s decided to speak out because it has continued unabated.
“Recently, these false claims vary from me manipulating fans, being a closet-homosexual, trying to mislead or exhort fans for money and disregarding Covid advice. I’ve done non of the above,” the actor wrote.
Heughan has been self-isolating in Hawaii amid the coronavirus pandemic, and he said that he traveled to the state before any travel ban was put in place because he was unaware of how serious the virus would get.
Stay safe all.x pic.twitter.com/9WbwAnT6nz
— Sam Heughan (@SamHeughan) April 17, 2020
“Upon the advice of everyone I trust, I decided to remain in a safe environment. It was a good decision. I am safe, isolated, putting no one at risk and am not a burden to the locals,” Heughan continued.
He said that there was too much risk involved in taking a long flight back to the United Kingdom and that because he had recently been sick for an extended period of time, he was taking extra precautions. Heughan said that he had been stalked on several occasions and that his personal information had also been stolen.
Heughan continued by saying that as an actor, he felt particularly impotent with regard to the crisis. He suggested that followers who were unhappy with his page should unfollow him, and thanked the followers who had supported him over his years in the public eye. He said that as people around the world live through the pandemic, he’s tried to spotlight charities who are helping people in need and provide a little lightness through his presence on social media.
“I’m so grateful, from the bottom of my heart. Stay safe and please be kind to yourself and each other,” he wrote at the end of his message.
Hours after he published the post, #WeStandWithSam began trending on Twitter. Outlander fan accounts also began to post about Heughan’s remarks, offering their support to the actor, People reports.
