Obi-Wan Kenobi actress Moses Ingram has been supported by the Star Wars franchise and co-stars, including Ewan McGregor, after she spoke out about receiving racist comments online.
In the new Disney+ series, Ingram plays the Third Sister, Reva Sevander, who hunts McGregor’s Kenobi after being given the mission by Darth Vader.
However, the US actress, who is black, revealed she has been receiving racist comments since the show was released last Friday.
She posted screenshots to her Instagram story, which included one saying her “days are numbered”, while another called her a “diversity hire”.
The Star Wars Twitter account was quick to stand behind Ingram by posting messages detailing how they were proud of the star.
The account said: “We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva’s story to unfold.
“If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist.
“There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, don’t choose to be a racist.”
Moses Ingram in a scene from the series, Obi-Wan Kenobi
McGregor hits out over bullying messages
Actor Ewan McGregor, who also stars in the series, sent a warning to people who were “sending her bullying messages”.
He said on Twitter: “Moses is a brilliant actor. She is a brilliant woman. And she is absolutely amazing in this series. She brings so much to the series, she brings so much to the franchise. And it just sickened me to my stomach to hear that this had been happening.
“I just want to say, as the lead actor in the series, as the executive producer on the series, that we stand with Moses. We love Moses.
“And if you’re sending her bullying messages, you’re no Star Wars fan in my mind. There’s no place for racism in this world. And I totally stand with Moses.”
It comes after Ingram told her followers that she had been sent “hundreds” of hateful messages.
She said: “I question what my purpose is even being here in front of you saying this is happening.
“I think the thing that bothers me is that, like, sort of, this feeling that I’ve had inside of myself, which no one has told me, but this I just have to shut up and bear it, and I’m not built like that.”
She also thanked those who have stuck up for her in the comments, adding their support “means the world”.
Ingram added: “So I really just wanted to come on, I think, and say thank you to the people who show up for me in the comments and the places that I’m not going to put myself.
“And to the rest of y’all: Y’all weird.”
Sky News has contacted Disney+ for a comment.