Michaela Coel On Why She Ignores Internet Trolls: Life Is Tricky Enough Being A Black Woman

Michaela Coel

Michaela Coel On Why She Ignores Internet Trolls: Life Is Tricky Enough Being A Black Woman

Michaela Coel said she’s over being concerned about what people think of her.

The I May Destroy You star told WSJ that her previous hit series Chewing Gum:

 “was probably the time when I looked for people’s opinions, and some of it hurt quite a lot.”

She added now that she doesn’t pay attention to comments she gets.

“I don’t look anymore, because it doesn’t seem like a smart thing to do.”

She continued and said things are hard enough without looking for other people’s opinions.

“Life is tricky enough navigating being a woman, being a black woman, being a dark-skinned woman in England on television. It’s so hard.”

Michaela Coel is no stranger to speaking her mind. Back in July, she addressed the public outcry following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. She also shared her thoughts on the media’s treatment toward black women.

“Who would have known that we would be where we are right now politically, in terms of police brutality, racism, the coronavirus and the inherent sort of strange biases that this virus has? Although everything is heartbreaking, I feel quite grateful to be able to present a show to the world that humanizes us right now. I think that since the media has really even existed, it has dehumanized black people. In many ways, it’s dehumanized and disempowered women. To be within the media, to challenge that, and to present us as fluid, multi-dimensional human people, just like everybody else, feels like a really amazing privilege.

Still, all isn’t lost in her eyes. She previously spoke on the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement amid international protests after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. She added:

“I, for some reason, have this sense of hope. I feel very proud of the way we’re coming together, even if it’s just to stand there in solidarity.”

What do you think about Michaela Coel’s reason for ignoring internet trolls? Let us know in the comments.