Millie Bobby Brown quits Twitter after anti-gay meme campaign
The 14-year-old Stranger Things star deactivated her account after becoming the target for homophobic memes during Pride Month.
Thursday 14 June 2018 15:15, UK
Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown has quit Twitter following a campaign of targeted homophobic abuse.
Anti-gay memes using the hashtag #TakeDownMillieBobbyBrown were shared on the social media platform along with photoshopped images of the star, who is just 14.
One tweet includes a video of a car driving into protesters and includes the caption: "Millie Bobby Brown arriving at pride".
Another shows a picture of Brown looking out of a car window with the caption 'Looking away from all the gay f**s xoxo'.
The British star now appears to have deactivated her verified account @milliebbrown which had nearly 2.3 million followers.
When her handle is typed into the Twitter search box, a blue page now appears with the message: "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"
A second account, @Milliestopshate, set up by Brown last summer to tackle bullying is still active, as is her Instagram account which has nearly 17 million followers.
In reality, the Emmy nominated actress is a vocal anti-bullying campaigner and active supporter of LGBTQ+ rights.
Fans have jumped to her aid, calling society "messed up" and saying homophobia is "not something to joke about".
Some have suggested the campaign, which coincides with Pride Month, was an "inside joke" within the LGBT community, based on the premise that Brown would never behave in such a homophobic way.
One of the first recipients of MTV's gender-neutral awards last year, Brown wore a blue ampersand pin to honour the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Together movement to accept her prize.
She is also the youngest person ever to feature on TIME's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Brown will make her feature film debut next year in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.