Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran recently removed all posts from her Instagram account, with many attributing the move to months of racist and sexist abuse over her role as Rose Tico in 2017's The Last Jedi. The Vietnamese-American star became the first woman of colour to play a leading part in the iconic series, and, while there has been no official confirmation from Tran as to why she has vanished from the photo-sharing social network, fans have already come out in force to show their support.
Using the hashtag #FanArtForRose on Twitter, artists all over the globe have been paying homage to Tran and her character Rose with the most beautiful incredible artwork. And it's gaining a lot of momentum, with the film's director Rian Johnson sharing it, and Vanity Fair's Joanna Robinson calling for help to get the hashtag trending.
Tran played mechanic-turned-Resistance fighter Rose Tico in 2017's The Last Jedi – a film that some might say isn't the best in the iconic series. But much of the upset was fired directly at Tran, with some fans targeting her appearance and ethnicity.
It's incredibly sad to think Tran has removed herself from social media due to the hate and ignorance of some others. And while the #FanArtForRose hashtag should never have been necessary, we really hope she gets to witness what has been a pretty special 24 hours of love and support. What could be better than her sharing some of this stunning artwork on her hopefully soon-to-be-reactivated Insta account? Although it may take her a while as there are literally hundreds of stunning illustrations to choose from – here are some of our favourites...
Lead image: Jen Bartel
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