Stephanie Tyler Jones, the face model for Mary Jane Watson in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, has come forward about the harassment she’s received from players.
On her Instagram story, she revealed that players have “crossed boundaries” by calling her workplace demanding to speak to her. One person left voicemails, which she said left her “unsafe and uncomfortable.”
“[This] is unacceptable and considered stalking,” wrote Jones. While she was quick to assure that Spider-Man players have largely been nice, she also asked players respect her transition from modeling to skincare, which she concretely said was “not for Spider-Man or MJ fans.”
“Please respect that I am a human being trying to make a living just like you, and I kindly ask for boundaries not to be crossed. Messages will not be answered, and I will block you if you make me feel uncomfortable.”
Why is actor harassment so PlayStation-specific?
Jones’ disclosing of her harassment isn’t new. In recent years, developers have been open about players crossing the line and getting particularly toxic on either social media or in real life.
But when it comes to actors, much of that harassment has centered on actors in PlayStation games. Insomniac’s Bryan Intihar said the studio was harassed after changing Peter Parker’s face model to actor Ben Jordan for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and the recent sequel.
Laura Bailey, a longtime voice actor, received harassment in 2020 for her portrayal of Abby, the deuteragonist of The Last of Us Part II. That harassment, which was preceded by story leaks, also encompassed Naughty Dog staff.
Now that The Last of Us franchise has come to live-action, we may see a repeat of events, as actor Kaitlyn Dever is set to play Abby in The Last of Us’ second season.
PlayStation games aren’t the first (or worst) to receive harassment, but it does feel somewhat unique to their cinematic offerings. And it may soon be time for Sony and other studios to make active steps to ensure the safety of their talent.