Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
worm\'s eye view of red, orange, and yellow Ferris wheel
worm\'s eye view of red, orange, and yellow Ferris wheel
Hannah Morgan / Unsplash
Culture > Entertainment

Kelly Marie Tran Had To Delete Her Instagram Posts After Online Abuse From ‘Star Wars’ Fans & It’s NOT Okay

Erica Kam

Kelly Marie Tran, known for her role as Rose in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, recently deleted all of her Instagram posts, and though she hasn’t confirmed a reason why yet, most people suspect it has to do with the racist and ableist online abuse hurled at her by so-called Star Wars fans.

Tran, as pointed out by the BBC, was the first woman of color to have a leading role in the Star Wars franchise, which spans over 40 years and 10 films. Her role in The Last Jedi was meaningful and important to Asians and Asian-Americans who had yet to see representation of themselves on screen—but unfortunately, it also triggered a lot of backlash from white, male fans who didn’t enjoy seeing a woman, especially a WOC, as a lead character.

Back in 2016, Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley also deleted her Instagram account due to online harassment, but it’s important to note that in Tran’s case, the comments take on a particularly ugly attitude. According to Vox, Tran’s character’s “Wookieepedia” entry was defiled with ableist slurs and racist nicknames that mocked her Asian heritage.

It’s clear that racism and sexism are at the root of fan dislike towards Tran. As pointed out by NBC News, Disney (the owner of Lucasfilm, which makes the Star Wars movies) should not get a free pass to stay silent on this issue like they did in the past with Ridley’s harassment. Rian Johnson, director of The Last Jedi, has been outspoken on Twitter in Tran’s defense, and many other fans online have spoken up in support of the 29-year-old star.

According to BuzzFeed, Tran’s Instagram posts included captions where she discussed her fears about using social media and trying to be “perfect.” It’s so heartbreaking that Tran has to deal with bullshit like this. I hope she’s okay, and I hope she gets the apologies she deserves from the people who put her through this.

Erica Kam is the Life Editor at Her Campus. She oversees the life, career, and news verticals on the site, including academics, experience, high school, money, work, and Her20s coverage. Over her six years at Her Campus, Erica has served in various editorial roles on the national team, including as the previous Culture Editor and as an editorial intern. She has also interned at Bustle Digital Group, where she covered entertainment news for Bustle and Elite Daily. She graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Barnard College, where she was the senior editor of Columbia and Barnard’s Her Campus chapter and a deputy copy editor for The Columbia Spectator. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her dissecting K-pop music videos for easter eggs and rereading Jane Austen novels. She also loves exploring her home, the best city in the world — and if you think that's not NYC, she's willing to fight you on it.