Erin Moriarty Of "The Boys" Gave An Update After She Faced Online Bullying

    "For a few months, I thought my career was over."

    Mychal Thompson
    by Mychal Thompson

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Erin Moriarty is a force to be reckoned with on and off the screen.

    Closeup of Erin Moriarty
    Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for ELLE

    Erin portrays the superhero turned revolutionary feminist icon Starlight on Amazon Prime Video's hit TV show, The Boys.

    Erin Moriarty dressed as her character Starlight in a white and gold superhero costume, standing between two teleprompters with a starry background
    / ©Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection

    The Boys is an adaptation of the adult superhero comic series of the same name.

    But, her TV character's fight against bigotry and hate became all too real when she faced online criticism, notably earlier this year, for her appearance.

    In a New York Times interview, Erin shared how she's doing after facing online bullying. "For a few months, I thought my career was over," she said.

    Closeup of Erin Moriarty
    Christopher Polk / Variety via Getty Images

    "Because there was so much attention brought to something that I was told never to address."

    Back in January 2024, Erin responded to Megyn Kelly after the former Fox News host accused her of having an "addiction" to plastic surgery.

    Closeup of Erin Moriarty
    Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images for Vanity Fair

    The news host appeared to be gathering her information of unverified online hate toward Erin for an alleged change in her appearance from trolls who claimed they were fans of The Boys.

    Erin responded in a now-deleted Instagram to the intense accusations. "This is something I truly never anticipated writing," she began. "We're all subject to levels of bullying throughout our lives but I am horrified, and I felt that I deserved to take a second to address these things."

    Erin Moriarty poses on the red carpet in a silver sequin dress at a BoxLunch event
    Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images

    "I had no idea what was going on, to be honest, because I've had one of the most challenging weeks of my life. And I specifically thought that as I emerge this period of time — so stressed that I BARELY been able to eat and sleep. I thought ok, I'm going to ermege this 10 pounds thinner and the verbal abuse/accusations will be flying — usually either drug use or just a flippant 'eat a burger' comment. You learn to become Teflon and move on. I had NO idea what was going on this time."

    "How utterly misinformed, inaccurate, and clickbait seeking people who we follow and consider to be informed is appalling."

    Talia Ryder at Tribeca Film Festival in a stylish, cut-out black dress
    Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

    In the end, Erin wrote she was "horrified by the reaction, the reductive assumptions, and the aforementioned video that is a primary example of such harassment. It's broken my heart. You've broken my heart."

    Now, the 29-year-old actor, with incredible support from her real fans and coworkers, has returned to social media with a force behind her to drown out the negativity.

    Erin Moriarty poses on the red carpet in a sleeveless black dress with white detailing at an event for POLO Ralph Lauren and ELLE
    Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for ELLE

    "I had left it on a note where I'd explicitly said that I had been heartbroken by the comments," Erin said to the New York Times.

    Erin Moriarty dressed as her character Starlight from "The Boys" TV series, wearing a white and gold superhero outfit with a star emblem, standing in an office setting
    / ©Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Now, I'm not heartbroken. I'm galvanized."

    Erin Moriarty, dressed in a superhero costume with a star emblem on her chest, sits at a table, looking to the right
    / ©Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Read the full interview here.

    Season 4 of The Boys is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.