Star Wars actor Warwick Davis has slammed Twitter.
And it’s all over a rather mean online comment.
Warwick Davis, who has appeared in Star Wars and Harry Potter, has criticised Twitter for failing to take action after one user shared a photograph of the actor and his family and called them ‘midgets’.
“Twitter is supposed to have clamped down on abusive behaviour on their platform,” he explained in a Tweet. “However, even after reporting twice, and explaining how offensive the word ‘midget’ is to many short statured individuals, they continue to allow the Tweet below to remain on the user’s timeline.”
Of course, the post is generating a rather heated response from fans.
Not least of which, from fellow Star Wars star, Mark Hamill.
“Oh my god,” he said in a Tweet, expressing his shock at the comments. “Warwick Davis has a full BEAUTIFUL family I am privileged to know & call my friends.”
Warwick Davis first appeared on the big screen as the iconic Ewok, Wickett in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and has since appeared throughout the Star Wars Universe – most recently, as a Canto Bight regular in The Last Jedi. He also played Professor Flitwick alongside other minor roles in the Harry Potter saga.
Obviously, this is a troubling issue for both the actor and the social media platform.
After all, Twitter recently announced it would be taking online abuse more seriously, toughening its stance on online harassment. Now, it’s found itself under fire following a high-profile case of an actor’s family being subjected to the very abuse it was supposedly working to remove.
Twitter has since responded via e-mail and finally taken action.
“News just in… Twitter have emailed me,” reported the actor.
“Thank you for contacting us about this issue,” they stated. “We have reviewed the account you reported and have locked it because we found it to be in violation of the Twitter Rules.”
“Thanks everyone!” he added. “You are a Force for good! X”
