John Boyega apologises after 'badly-worded' comment on social media abuse

John Boyega has apologised for “badly-worded” comments he made about abuse on social media.

Ahead of the release of The Rise of Skywalker, the 27-year-old was interviewed by Variety and the conversation soon turned to the negative comments and trolling which can take place on sites including Twitter.

Boyega was quoted as telling the publication: "Through social media, we get to engage, we get to have fun. But at the same time, for those who are not mentally strong, you are weak to believe in every single thing that you read."

His comment was soon called out by fans who assumed the actor was criticising his co-star Kelly Marie Tran, who deleted her Instagram posts after receiving a torrent of abuse following the release of 2017's The Last Jedi.

Tweeting on Thursday morning, Boyega was keen to make it clear that was not the case.

He wrote: “In no way was I referring to Kelly when I made my comments although the interviewer mentioned her given the topic.

"I was really speaking from my own perspective throughout this franchise. Sometimes I’ve felt strong and sometimes I’ve felt weak. Badly worded though. I apologize." [sic]

Boyega added that this "comments on Kelly specifically and online harassment remains the same via a tweet I put out a few years ago."

The post he is referring to reads: "If you don’t like Star Wars or the characters understand that there are decisions makers and harassing the actors/ actresses will do nothing. You’re not entitled to politeness when your approach is rude. Even if you paid for a ticket!"

Tran, who played Resistance fighter Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, removed her Instagram posts after experiencing months of racist and sexist abuse on social media.

A Vietnamese-American, she was the first woman of colour to play a lead role in the hit series.

In a piece she wrote for the New York Times, entitled I Won’t Be Marginalised by Online Bullying, she said: “Their words seemed to confirm what growing up as a woman and a person of colour already taught me – that I belonged in margins and spaces, valid only as a minor character in their lives and stories.”

Additional reporting by Press Association.