Comedian Rosie Jones has finally had enough. The 33-year-old made a swift exit from X (formerly Twitter), calling it a “centre of hate” after years of being subjected to relentless online abuse.
In her last message before deleting her account, Rosie commented:
“I’ve not felt a lot of joy from this social platform in a long time, so to come on and see I’m trending, yet again, is exhausting. I could say comedy is subjective, but the truth is the comments are hurtful. I used to love Twitter, but I don’t care for this centre of hate.”
The decision comes after years of being a target, not for her comedy, but for her disability. Because, of course, faceless internet trolls would rather spew vitriol at a disabled person than, you know, work on themselves.
Rosie later took to Instagram, her last bastion of sanity in the social media world, to confirm the move, saying:
“My god do I feel good about it. Still on [Instagram], I just could not handle the cesspit of hate. I used to love Twitter, but not what it had morphed into. It’s a no from me.”
And really, who can blame her? X/Twitter is hardly the place it once was, and Rosie’s departure is a sad but telling reflection of how hostile it has become.
A Sad, Familiar Story
This isn’t the first time Rosie’s had to fend off the trolls. Just last year, she faced another onslaught of abuse after appearing on The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, one of those fun, harmless TV gigs that’s supposed to bring a bit of joy to the holidays. Instead, she was met with waves of ableist hate.
Rosie’s resilience is undeniable. In an interview with The Guardian, she admitted:
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t upset me, but luckily, I am surrounded by such a strong network of brilliant friends, family, colleagues who support me.”
It’s hard not to admire that kind of strength, but it’s equally infuriating that she even has to muster it in the first place.
Moving Forward
Thankfully, Rosie’s still out there, thriving in spaces that deserve her. Instagram, at least for now, offers a less toxic corner of the internet where her fans can continue to support her work.
Her story is a reminder to stand up for those who face this kind of abuse because ignoring it isn’t neutrality; it’s complicity. And as for X/Twitter? It might be time to let it go. The world is better without the hate, and so are we.
Stay unruly.
