An actor on the Netflix teen drama show Riverdale is being criticised after people online discovered offensive tweets he penned about overweight people.
A number of horrible fat-shaming tweets from 2012 were discovered on Charles Melton’s Twitter account.
Melton has played Reggie Mantle on the hit show since 2016, and has also appeared previously on American Horror Story and Glee.
The tweets make fun of overweight girls at the gym, and those that wear ‘yoga pants’.
People are annoyed.
@choniweed @JugheadMartin https://t.co/SFHhyguH02— Tindra (@Tindra) 1529508492
@choniweed I wonder what @lilireinhart and @CamilaMendes think of this... It's sickening and sending a horrible mes… https://t.co/f5bfDzQI20— Jillian #SaveProdigalSon (@Jillian #SaveProdigalSon) 1529508204
@choniweed I don’t care if they are from 20 years ago. He is fat shaming. People have struggles and diseases and c… https://t.co/ysEC7f6AQJ— Roxy Stienblock (@Roxy Stienblock) 1529524394
CHARLES MELTON DOESNT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOURE AND YOUR BUT HES TELLING WOMEN TO STOP BEING FAT— lys 🐇 (@lys 🐇) 1529255175
Not everyone was critical. Others argued that it happened six years ago - people change...
okay i’m really irrelevant but i don’t understand why everyone is freaking out about charles melton? like yeah, he… https://t.co/WgrAyu7iF2— Mirah (@Mirah) 1529324265
@choniweed I'm not excusing his comments in any way, shape or form but these tweets were form 6-7 years ago— Naomi Harrison 🇯🇲 (@Naomi Harrison 🇯🇲) 1529469304
Though at the time he was, at the age of 21, an adult...
Soon after the discovery of the tweet and subsequent backlash, Melton made his Twitter private.
Charles Melton fat shaming woman then putting his account private because of the backlash is petty af. https://t.co/AgwLHf1TK1— Lydia (@Lydia) 1529395193
Melton later released a statement to ETapologising for what he wrote:
I’m truly sorry for making inconsiderate comments several years ago and apologise to anyone I hurt.
What I posted and said was immature, offensive and inappropriate.
I am ashamed of how I acted and there is no excuse for that. I’m striving to do better and will use this experience to grow, helping others to understand how these types of statements are completely unacceptable.
His co-star, Camila Mendes told Access Hollywood that he had called her to apologise.
Charles called me personally to apologise. He was devastated. He felt really sorry about it and he called me personally and you know he said ‘with everything that I stand for, I’m really sorry.
And I know Charles, I know he’s not actually a bad person and I think it’s a matter of sometimes you tweet things forever ago and they’re buried in there and they come out and it sucks and I do not agree with anything he said or support those statements but I know that that’s not who he is.
More: There are four types of drinker – which are you?
More: Introverts have this underappreciated strength, according to science