Lizzo got vulnerable with her 11.2 million Instagram followers on Sunday (August 15) when she opened up about the negative effects online bullying was having on her mental health. The video made national headlines and put the spotlight on just how cruel internet trolls can be.
Now, Facebook — the same company that owns Instagram — is springing into action.
Sources at Facebook tell TMZ they are taking appropriate steps to scrub the hateful comments from the social media platform, and they’ve already removed dozens on both her Facebook and Instagram posts.
Facebook has also vowed to review reports of negative comments on an “ongoing basis.” Sources say Facebook will be removing any accounts of users who consistently break community guidelines around hate speech, harassment and bullying as well.
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Lizzo debuted her “Rumors” video featuring Cardi B shortly before the onslaught of, what she calls “fat-phobic and racist,” comments started pouring in. As she struggled to make sense of it, she admitted all of the criticism was starting to take its toll.
“Sometimes I feel like the world just don’t love me back,” she said. “It’s like it doesn’t matter how much positive energy you put into the world, you’re still going to have people who have something mean to say about you. And for the most part it doesn’t hurt my feelings; I don’t care. I just think when I’m working this hard, my tolerance gets lower. My patience is lower. I’m more sensitive and it gets to me.”
Lizzo Breaks Down In Tears After Criticism Over Cardi B 'Rumors' Video: 'It's Fat-Phobic, Racist + Hurtful'
Lizzo didn’t specify exactly what the messages, explaining, “I’m not even going to say them, to give them power.”
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She added, “People saying shit about me that just doesn’t even make sense. It’s fat-phobic, and it’s racist and it’s hurtful. If you don’t like my music, cool. If you don’t like ‘Rumors’ the song, cool. But a lot of people don’t like me because of the way I look.”
Watch the video in full below.
