How Bella Ramsey became the internet's most hated star and what it says about toxic fandom culture today

Bella Ramsey isn’t new to the screen. From stealing scenes in Game of Thrones as Lyanna Mormont to leading The Last of Us as Ellie, the 21-year-old has already built an impressive career. She’s earned critical praise, award nominations, and the approval of top directors. Yet, none of that has shielded her from becoming a frequent punching bag for internet trolls.

What started as excitement over her casting in The Last of Us quickly turned into online abuse, targeting not just her performance, but her looks, identity, and the fact that she plays a lesbian character. The attacks aren’t random. Many of them come from echo chambers on Reddit, Instagram, and X, where far-right ideologies and toxic masculinity thrive. These groups often rage against anything that doesn’t fit their narrow image of “mainstream.”

Bella Ramsey and the cost of outspokenness in Hollywood Getty Images

Photoshopped memes, brutal insults, and outright cruelty follow her every move. Some trolls argue she was “miscast,” not based on talent, but on appearance. Others call her “woke,” a term often weaponised to dismiss inclusion and diversity. Suggestions to replace her with actresses deemed “prettier” are common and absolutely dehumanising.

But the hate goes deeper. Ramsey is non-binary and has spoken openly about mental health, anorexia, and autism. For many, this makes her a target in a media space that still punishes anyone who challenges norms. She’s not the first. Actresses like Rachel Zegler, Halle Bailey, and Morfydd Clark have faced similar firestorms for daring to lead stories that don’t fit certain people’s expectations.

What the hate against Bella Ramsey really says about usGetty Images

For Ramsey, the constant negativity became too much. She quit social media not out of drama, but because it wasn’t worth the toll. She no longer wants to scroll through threads trying to defend her right to exist as she is. “I just got sick of it,” she said. And who wouldn’t?

Behind the scenes, her talent is undeniable. Game of Thrones veterans praise her professionalism and instinct. The Last of Us creators chose her from over 100 actors because she was Ellie: all smart, vulnerable, funny, and fierce. That’s what matters.

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But in today’s online world, success isn’t always protection. For some, Ramsey represents change, and that alone is enough to set off alarms in the loudest corners of the internet.

And yet, she endures. Quietly. Powerfully. As herself.