Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel actor Simu Liu has created controversy on Twitter (again) after being accused of publicly shaming and targeting two young women.
Best known for portraying the title character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Liu is no stranger to online controversy. Since making his Marvel debut, the actor found himself in hot water in 2021 when fans unearthed old questionable Reddit posts.
These included posts created during his time on the TV show Kim’s Convenience. Shared on the infamous incel subreddit r/AZNidentity under the username NippedInTheBud, these featured casually sexist comments about women being inferior to men at sports, as well as a now-deleted comment in which he compared pedophilia to a sexual preference. He claimed to have done “a significant amount of research” into pedophilia and stated that “from a biological standpoint, it’s no different to being gay.”
Simu Liu later sparked controversy again in 2022 after sharing his opinion on mental health treatment in a tweet. Now, the internet is angry with Liu once again – this time, for calling out two young women on his Instagram.
It all started when a TikToker created a video talking about how “it pisses [them] off so bad that Simu Liu is now the face of the Asian diaspora.” A separate user then reshared the video on their Instagram, tagging Liu’s account and adding: “@simuliu is the biggest ick walking on this planet.”
The Instagram user in question has now switched their social media to private and has just 258 followers on the app. Liu, however, apparently saw the video in his mentions and reshared it on his Instagram Story, writing his own rebuttal over the top.
oh go fuck yourself you piece of shit. really hope this poor woman isn't attacked too much by the idiots marvel nerds pic.twitter.com/GpWOw6FeGj
— nuz (@nuzthemonkey) May 10, 2023
I was for some reason mentioned in this story so I figured I might as well share it.
- A) definitely not the face of the Asian diaspora we are literally in a golden era of Asian representation and that’s what’s so exciting is that there’s room for so many of us
- B) definitely not homophobic or incel (but what the ACTUAL fuck is that accusation)
- C) I can completely respect that you don’t rock w me but maybe see someone for the amount of hatred you feel over someone you literally do not know in the slightest! hope you get the help you need.
Liu was (rightfully) annoyed about being tagged in a stranger’s hate post. However, considering the size of his platform, Twitter users have called him out for publically shaming the two women involved – something that would’ve inevitably led to extensive hate from some of Liu’s followers.
“This is what I mean by more celebs need a group chat,” wrote producer, actress, and TV writer Franchesca Ramsey. “Simu has every right to feel away about her post but sharing it to his 3 MILLION followers is inviting a pile on & he knows that. He should’ve vented to his friends OFFLINE & left it at that.”
this is what I mean by more celebs need a group chat. Simu has every right to feel away about her post but sharing it to his 3 MILLION followers is inviting a pile on & he knows that. He should’ve vented to his friends OFFLINE & left it at that https://t.co/IYU2KZE7Np
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) May 10, 2023
Ramsey also raised the point that the original creator of the TikTok was not the one to tag the Shang Chi star. However, with her name visible in Liu’s post, it’s inevitable that she’ll also be victim to an internet “pile on.”
Multiple Twitter users chimed in in agreement, with one writing: “Getting asian american women harassed because they don’t like you while also pulling this ‘hope u can heal the hate in ur heart’ uwu bullshit is extremely white behaviour fyi!” Another wrote: “@disney get your man and his fragile ego.”
The TikToker in question later reshared her video – in which she accused Liu of being unable to handle criticism – with a screenshot of Liu’s Instagram Story, noting: “He still can’t handle criticisms.”
What makes this funny is that I literally saw her original video and an hour later I see her stitch. Simu Liu is such a loser https://t.co/eWSy6UeBYk pic.twitter.com/06zwidSA8x
— oh no i have to finish dune🇲🇽 (@JoyLuckClubbing) May 10, 2023
Simu Liu had already sparked controversy earlier this week when he clapped back at the HuffPost for an article titled “We Love Simu Liu, But He’s Not The Only Talented Asian Thirst Trap In Hollywood.” The article claimed that “when a single actor appears to be getting the bulk of Asian male roles in Hollywood, it starts to feel a little less like representation and a lot more like tokenism.” Liu responded in a now-deleted Facebook post, calling it the “trashest take” and asserting, “I’m not a ‘thirst trap’ I’m a f*****g actor.”
While it’s definitely been a tough week for Liu (and his PR team), the actor’s year is set to take an upturn with his upcoming role in Barbie (2023), where he’ll play one of the film’s many Kens (and the sworn enemy of the Ken portrayed by Ryan Gosling). He’s also expected to reprise his role of Shang-Chi in an untitled, undated sequel for Marvel in the near future.
What are your thoughts on the latest Simu Liu controversy? Let us know in the comments!