Outlander Sam Heughan has opened up in a shocking Instagram post about “six years of constant bullying, harassment, stalking and false narrative” he has endured since joining the Starz drama in 2014.
The Scottish actor went on to says he’s been falsely accused of “manipulating fans, being a closet-homosexual, trying to mislead or exhort fans for money and disregarding coronavirus advice.”
The comments about coronavirus stem from his decision to shelter in place in Hawaii, where he was on vacation when shutdown began.
“I'm safe, isolated, putting no one at risk and am not a burden to the locals,” he wrote.
He said that he isn’t the only one affected; his circle of friends and family have been subjected to “personal slurs, shaming, abuse, death threats, stalking, sharing of private information and vile, false narrative.”
“I am at a loss, upset, hurt and have to speak out,” Heughan added. “It's affecting my life, mental state and is a daily concern … I've never spoken about it because I believe in humanity and always hoped these bullies would just go away.”
He went on to say that he “can't elaborate for ongoing legal reasons but they are professionals: teachers, psychologists, adults who should know better.”
Hours after his outpouring, the hashtag #WeStandWithSam began trending.