Outlander star Sam Heughan has never been afraid to speak his mind, and it’s happened again today: the actor, who plays Jamie Fraser on the hit Starz show, has had to take to social media sites to beg fans of the show to stop bullying and harassing a friend of his online.
NewsBuzzters reports that Outlander star Sam Heughan had to step in and speak up when a friend of Heughan’s, actress MacKenzie Mauzy, posted a photo of the Scottish Highlands on her Instagram account.
This then prompted a flurry of comments attacking the young actress, who is most famous for her role in Into the Woods with Meryl Streep:
The comments about Mauzy on her Instagram finally got so out of hand that Heughan had to step in and beg for the comments to stop.
Heughan also reiterated his request for the bullying to stop on his Twitter page.
Shameful behaviour by many on social media recently. It’s disgusting and needs to stop. Spineless bullying. Stop. Now.
— Sam Heughan (@SamHeughan) November 3, 2016
This is not the first time that Outlander star Sam Heughan has reportedly had to handle online bullying. According to the Mary Sue , in the past, Heughan’s friend, sci-fi legend and actor William Shatner , has had to step into the fray, allegedly on Heughan’s behalf, itoprevent Heughan’s friends, family members, and even Outlander fans from being bullied online.
The Mary Sue , which is a site dedicated to sci-fi fans, reported that this action by Shatner was a lesson in “toxic fandom.”
They wrote as follows.
“Despite both Heughan and Balfe’s denial of these claims [that they are dating], as well as the fact that they’re both in relationships with other people, those who ship the two of them refuse to acknowledge that there is nothing going on between them. Keep in mind none of this necessarily excuses the actions of the more toxic members of the Outlander community, either. As I said earlier, and as it bears repeating, nobody deserves to be threatened with harassment or doxxing on the internet. Plain and simple.”
It’s education on manners & how to behave. It’s the anonymity factor that makes deviant thinkers behave in a manner they wouldn’t normally. https://t.co/HVGWoSxxcW
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) November 3, 2016
As has been stated in previous Outlander Season 3 reports released by the Inquisitr , Outlander star Sam Heughan and his co-star, Caitriona Balfe, have both confirmed that they are not dating . Balfe, in fact, told Vanity Fair Italia that it “bothers” her that people continue to insist that she and her co-star are together, when it is simply not true.
“It’s a compliment. We work hard to achieve that chemistry. We are good friends and we have a similar view on life. He is definitely more in shape than me. [But] what really bothers me is when people claim we are together. It’s not true.”
Heughan agreed with her sentiment, and said that while he felt bad that people felt deceived, he also thought that it meant that he and his co-star did a good job portraying a couple on the small screen. He also echoed Balfe’s statement of friendship, and emphasized that he thought Balfe was a wonderful person, and a good friend to him.
What do you think of what Outlander star Sam Heughan did? Leave your thoughts about this news, and Outlander star Sam Heughan, in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Robin Marchant/Getty Images]
