After Prime Video released a warning that fans would be banned for “bullying and hate speech” against the cast and crew of The Summer I Turned Pretty, its stars are weighing in.
The streamer, which dropped the first two episodes of the show’s third and final season this week, cautioned on social media, “We have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and hate speech. If you engage in any of the following you will be banned,” before listing “community guidelines” including no “hate speech or bullying,” “targeting our cast or crew” and “harassing or doxxing members of the community.” The series follows Belly, a girl caught in a love triangle between two brothers, as fans have passionately picked sides in the romance.
At the season three launch event in NYC on Wednesday, star Lola Tung told The Hollywood Reporter of the warning, “I think the discourse is great when it’s friendly and healthy, a little healthy discourse, and usually people are really respectful and understand that it’s all in good fun. But I think it is good to get a reminder that we need to be kind to each other, especially now — and just remember that whatever happens, it’ll be OK and to keep all of the discourse friendly.”
Christopher Briney, who plays older brother Conrad, mused that it’s “really cool to have people care enough and have teams and have T-shirts about that” but “I think sometimes people can take it too far and people can treat actors as if they have more power over the situation, or as if they’re acting as their characters do. I think that’s just a little ignorant to the work that goes into this; like if you hate a character, that’s wonderful, we’ve done our job. It doesn’t mean you need to come for them. I’m grateful that they put that statement out.”
Creator Jenny Han added, “I think it’s always good to remember that it’s real people who are playing the characters and they’re just playing a character, it’s not them.”
The group is hopeful that the reaction will be more positive, though, Tung confirmed that she thinks fans will be satisfied with the ending and “I think however you feel, hopefully you’ll enjoy the story and be happy with it.”
Gavin Casalegno, who plays younger brother Jeremiah, echoed, “I hope everyone’s just pleased with the story as whole. Enjoy it for the story and the artwork that it is, I think it’s impossible to be disappointed,” continuing, “I think everyone will be very pleased with the ending, I think it’ll show a lot of maturity.”
Neha Joy contributed to this report.