LONDON, March 10 (UPI) — Daisy Ridley responded to body shamers with a body-positive post Wednesday on Instagram.
The 23-year-old English actress fired back after a social media accused her of setting “unrealistic expectations” for young girls with her slim frame in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
“Real women are all shapes and sizes, all ethnicities, all levels of brave, have families, don’t have families,” the star wrote. “I’m a ‘real woman’ like every other woman in this world.”
Ridley deleted the post after fans attacked the Instagram user for the remark, but followed up with a second statement. The actress said she’s received both “gorgeous” and “misogynistic” messages since playing Rey in The Force Awakens.
“I will not apologize for how I look, what I say and how I live my life cause what’s happening inside is much more important anyway and I am striving to be the best version of myself, even if I stumble along the way,” she wrote.
“For anyone who has a problem with anyone in life, be them someone you know or someone you don’t, remember that expression, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” she added.
Many fans welcomed Rey as a strong female character, while others criticized The Force Awakens‘ inclusion of minority stars. The actress discussed Rey with The Hollywood Reporter in November, calling the character’s journey “really incredible.”
“[I relate most to] her hopefulness,” she said. “I think that was something driving me through the auditions … even though I was riddled with doubts and insecurities … She’s so much more hopeful than I am, and much braver than I am.”
“Rey’s an incredible representation of a young [woman],” she added. “Her story and the character J.J. [Abrams] wrote is a representation of something amazing that I try to embody, and so that combination is really nice, to be able to be me and then be her, too.”
Ridley will reprise Rey in Star Wars: Episode VIII, which opens in theaters Dec. 15, 2017.
