Erin Moriarty has officially had enough of the relentless online trolling about her appearance – and accusations that have been floating around on socials suggesting she has become "obsessed" with plastic surgery. And tbh, we're seriously over it, too.
The Boys star (who plays absolute icon, Starlight, in the Prime Video hit) has been subject to constant, unwarranted scrutiny over her face over the last few years, with keyboard warriors posting side-by-side photos of her from season 1 of the show compared to the latest drop, season 5. Others have made vicious memes comparing her to The Weeknd, when he donned prosthetics in his Save Your Tears music video.
As the show returns and gets everyone talking again, it's important to remember that Moriarty has previously drawn a massive line in the sand and made it crystal clear that this narrative (that she's hooked on surgery) isn't only false, but it's so harmful that she's logged off of socials for good as a result. The final straw to break the camel's back was when right wing commentator, Megyn Kelly, the same woman who was criticised for saying Jeffrey Epstein preferred "15-year-old girls... he wasn't into, like, eight-year-olds", dedicated a cruel segment to her...
"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," Moriarty has said regarding the online rhetoric about her appearance.
"To receive a message about a disgustingly false, counterproductive to the degree of being ironically misogynistic video of Megyn Kelly commenting on the manner — to learn the widespread nature of this has left me horrified."
Addressing the other rumours of plastic surgery head-on, the actor revealed she was "horrified" by the "disgustingly false" claims, calling out how toxic misinformation spreads like wildfire online. Opening up about the devastating behind-the-scenes toll the trolling took on her mental health, she heartbreakingly admitted she even thought the gossip could even spell the end of her career at one point.
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More recently, it emerged that some of the physical changes that many trolls were so fixated may actually linked to Moriarty's diagnosis of Graves' disease. For context, Graves' is an autoimmune condition that can cause weight loss and visible changes to the face.
Yet, despite her dealing with a very real, very challenging health condition, the internet still wouldn't let up, choosing to centre the conversation on shallow cosmetic surgery rumours instead of showing a shred of empathy. Oh and by the way, even if she has had surgery, why does someone else's face leave so many lonely basement dwellers so pressed?
Instead of quietly ignoring the noise (which probably would have made her life easier in some ways), Moriarty chose to call out the toxic BS that sees the way women look relentlessly policed. And for that, we ought to commend her.
Even if we don't experience it on the same scale, sadly comments and insane beauty ideals are something far too many women online (and off) can relate to – so we're here for Moriarty saying what she needs to say, then ducking out to protect her peace.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
