Sophie Turner calls out Piers Morgan over mental health comments
The Game of Thrones actress was unimpressed when Piers Morgan said celebrities were trying to make mental illness fashionable
Piers Morgan has taken a break from complaining about vegan sausage rolls to launch a new Twitter spat with Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner about mental illness.
The whole thing started when Morgan shared a headline from The Sun – "Beverley Callard says celebs are trying to make mental health problems 'fashionable'" – adding, "She'll be hammered for saying this, but it's 100% true."
- Susanna Reid is unimpressed as Piers Morgan walks into Good Morning Britain studio four seconds before going on air
- Ariana Grande hits out at Piers Morgan over Little Mix nude row
- Stay up to date with the RadioTimes.com newsletter
To be fair to the Coronation Street actress, what she said was actually a lot more nuanced. She told Best Magazine: "Real mental illness is very dark and it takes a great deal of strength to ask for help. I think we are now definitely chipping away at the stigma. But we have to be careful mental illness doesn’t become like a Gucci handbag. There is a danger it can become ‘fashionable’."
Morgan's comment did not sit well with Turner.
She replied: "Or maybe they have a platform to speak out about it and help get rid of the stigma of mental illness which affects 1 in 4 people in UK per year. But please go ahead and shun them back into silence. T***."
Morgan immediately hit back: "Hi Sophie, please don't abuse me like this - it's harmful to my mental health. Thanks."
Turner did not reply to the Good Morning Britain host, instead writing a series of tweets to her fans urging them to speak out about mental illness and open up a dialogue.
She wrote: "Depression is the second biggest killer in affluent Europe and America. One of the greatest reasons being, I believe, is because mental illness has so much stigma surrounding it. If we can just all speak out about our experiences or our loved ones experiences we can help other people who suffer with mental illness not feel so alone. Let’s keep this dialogue going.
"You are not alone, you can manage your illness, and people who make fun of it are the minority... not you. You are loved and supported."
But Morgan still sought out her thread, accusing her of a "virtue-signalling Twitter thesis":
The presenter, who likes to criticise PC "snowflakes" for their sensitivity, later added: "Why would I listen to yet another woefully unqualified C-list celebrity lecturing me about mental health to make herself look good, grab a few laughable 'She DESTROYED Piers Morgan!!' headlines & get lots of 'likes'?"
Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter
Authors
