Miranda Cosgrove will always have her fellow iCarly stars’ backs.
Recently, the show’s newest cast member Laci Mosley opened up on social media about the racist attacks she’s recently experienced because of her role in the Paramount+ revival series. After hearing of Mosley’s treatment from trolls, Cosgrove and the rest of the iCarly cast defended the actor, who they made clear is much more than just their castmate.
Laci Mosley has faced racially charged harassment online
Paramount+’s revival of iCarly, the Nickelodeon show that ran from 2007 to 2012, hasn’t even premiered yet, and already, a member of the show’s cast is receiving hate online.
During the weekend of May 14, the show’s newest addition, Laci Mosley — a Black actor who will play Carly’s (Miranda Cosgrove) best friend, Harper, in the revival — revealed on social media that she’s been experiencing cyberbullying by people who believe she’s trying to take the place of Jennette McCurdy’s Sam Puckett.
“Hi, I’m playing Harper on iCarly. I’m not replacing Sam. Jennette McCurdy is a wonderful person. I’ve never met her but it’s no shade,” she said in an Instagram Story that has since expired.
“Please stop calling me (the N-word) and being racist,” she captioned the video, asking people to “stay out of her comments” with racist remarks.
In another Instagram Story post, Mosley shared screengrabs of some of the hateful things people have sent her.
“I’ve been deleting and blocking people, but I can’t be bothered anymore,” she captioned a screenshot. “I feel silly being upset by racism cause it’s just how this terrible planet is, but sometimes it still catches me off guard.”
Laci Mosley isn’t letting the online hate get the best of her
On May 17, Mosley shared a candid post on her Instagram feed expressing how she truly feels about the hateful messages from trolls.
“I love being Black. I hate how Black people are treated on this planet,” she wrote. “I took this role on iCarly because the room is diverse…our show runner @ali_schouten is so incredibly kind and caring and the cast is talented and some of the best people I’ve ever met. I was shocked when a celebration of all the hard work we’ve put into making this reboot was overshadowed by the most racism I’ve ever experienced in my life over the course of 72 hours.”
Mosley continued by sharing that though the hateful comments “hurt,” she refuses to let people’s negativity steal her joy.
“I felt silly being so upset because I’ve been in this little brown body my entire life and racism isn’t new but it still hurts,” the actor added. “Racism kills. I can’t beg you to love me or yourselves enough to be kind to people but I can block you and protect my peace… Black is beautiful and no amount of slurs or vitriol you dump online will change that.”
Miranda Cosgrove condemns the treatment of Laci Mosley
When Paramount+ and the other iCarly cast members heard about the online attacks toward Mosley, they immediately jumped into action.
On May 16, Cosgrove took to her Instagram Stories and released a statement on behalf of the streaming service and show, slamming the treatment of Mosley.
“iCarly are proud to be racially diverse, not only in our crew but our cast,” the statement read. “We have recently seen reports of racism towards a member of our iCarly cast, and it is not acceptable. Please think about your words, and take time to understand how what you say can impact other people. Thank you.”
The following day, iCarly and Paramount+ issued a joint statement on Instagram voicing their support for Mosley amid the racially charged attacks.
“Our company is proud to uphold the values of inclusivity and collaboration, where we work to embrace new and diverse voices, act with care and work together,” the statement read. “The upcoming Paramount+ ‘iCarly’ series is one of many examples of this commitment, and we support our entire cast and crew and stand against all instances of hate and racism.”
Jerry Trainor, who plays Spencer, Carly’s older brother, on the show, also shared the statement on his Instagram page along with a caption expressing hope that the hate doesn’t continue.
“I never wanna hear the phrase “iCarly fans are racist,” ever again,” he wrote. “I need the true fans to step up and drown out the hate.”
iCarly is set to premiere on June 17 exclusively on Paramount+.
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