Selma Blair quits Twitter following defence of fired Guardians director James Gunn
The actress sent a final post stating "you can find me on Instagram. #Istandwithjamesgunn" before deleting her account
Actress Selma Blair has deleted her Twitter account days after she used it to give her public support to fired Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn.
Her final post read, "So long. You can find me on Instagram. #Istandwithjamesgunn," before her handle became inactive.
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The actress was one of several actors, including Guardians star Dave Bautista, to come to the defence of the filmmaker who was let go by Disney after a series of offensive tweets sent between 2008 and 2011 were unearthed.
“My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative,” Gunn send in response to his termination. "I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don't reflect the person I am today or have been for some time."
Blair had taken to Twitter in response to news of Gunn's firing, urging her followers to sign a Change.org petition calling for his reinstatement. She added: "if people are punished despite changing, then what does that teach people about owning mistakes and evolving? This man is one of the good ones."
Blair and Gunn have been close for a number of years, with the actress crediting the director with encouraging her to come forward with her story of sexual harassment in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
"Really, it was two men who were the most comforting to me in saying, 'You'll be safe, you'll be OK,'" Blair told The Hollywood Reporter back in February. "That was James Gunn and [Doctor Strange filmmaker] Scott Derrickson. They reached out and said how important it was to be on this side of history."
The actress continued to stand by Gunn in the days after his firing, sharing the Guardian story –Was James Gunn the first undeserving victim of Hollywood’s new zero-tolerance policy? – but hinting at a possible exit from the social media platform with the caption: "Does anyone else have feelings about leaving Twitter?"
She deleted her account days later but continues to post on Instagram. Gunn's Twitter account remains but has been inactive since his five-tweet statement, sent on 19th July, in reaction to his firing.