Jameela Jamil is coming after her critics online who continue to say she is lying about her extensive, complicated set of health issues. The Good Place star shot down claims that she has Munchausen syndrome, or factitious disorder, a mental illness that causes people to make up health issues for attention.
She said that just because she isn’t visibly disabled, doesn’t mean she isn’t suffering. Responding to claims followers online who pointed to “evidence” of her happiness when she said she was depressed and sick, she said: “One thing I will say is that this bulls+++ has raised a really important conversation about how we gaslight people whose illnesses aren’t visible. Next they will say I wasn’t really suicidally depressed in my mid 20s because there were pictures of me SMILING which = evidence”.
Jamil thanked fans for their “sweet messages” and wrote that she’s not alone in getting slammed for living her best life openly and bravely: “Thanks love and to everyone for so many sweet messages. I’m clearly doing something right… Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, Tarana Burke, Lizzo all the strongest women get a truck load of sh** for a while. Strong, loud, defiant women are scary.”
Accusers, including Jezebel co-creator Tracie Morrissey, say Jamil of lying about two battles with cancer, having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, suffering injuries from multiple car accidents, getting mercury poisoning, being attacked by killer bees and dealing with seizures.
CAROLINE FLACK
In the aftermath of Love Island presenter Caroline Flack‘s sudden death over the weekend, Jamil is also calling for an investigation into her treatment on social media. Several weeks ago, Flack, 40, was accused of assaulting her partner Lewis Burton.
He dropped charges, but she was castigated on social media and in the press. Now, Jamil is calling out social media’s reaction, writing on Twitter: “It was only a matter of time before the media and a prolonged social media dogpile, hers lasted for MONTHS, pushed someone completely over the edge. Rest In Peace Caroline Flack.”
Linking to a change.org petition, she wrote: “Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen again, let’s get the government to investigate how far the British press are allowed to go with their harassment.”
In the wake of Flack’s death from apparent suicide, her family issued a statement: “We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today on the 15th February. We would ask that the press both respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time.”
She was reportedly found in her London apartment.