It’s Fiction!: ‘The Summer That Changed My Life’ Actor Receives Death Threats Over the Series’ Plot
The passion for a series can go too far, and the cast of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ felt it firsthand. The actor Gavin Casalegno, who plays Jeremiah Fisher, revealed he had received death threats from fans unhappy with the direction of his character in the popular love triangle of the Prime Videoseries. The case exposes a dark side of fan culture, where the line between fiction and reality becomes dangerously blurred.
O que este artigo aborda:
- The Love Triangle that Split the Internet: Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah
- The Turning Point: The Plot that Intensified the Hate
- The Actor’s Response: “It’s a Work of Fiction”
- Amazon Prime Video Takes a Stand Against Bullying
The Love Triangle that Split the Internet: Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah
Based on the bestselling book trilogy by Jenny Han, the series follows Belly Conklin’s (Lola Tung) journey and her divided heart between brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). Since the first season, the plot sparked intense division among the audience, who quickly organized into two fervent fanbases: “Team Conrad” e “Team Jeremiah”.
This rivalry, which fuels much of the series’ engagement, escalated to a worrying level in the actors’ real lives. The passionate defense of one of the Fisher brothers turned social media into a battleground, but the worst was yet to come with the events of the final season.
The Turning Point: The Plot that Intensified the Hate
The trigger for the wave of hate aimed at Gavin Casalegno was a crucial plot point in the third and final season. In the storyline, his character, Jeremiah, betrays Belly’s trust. Although the character forgives him in fiction, some of the audience did not share that attitude.
The writers’ decision to follow the book’s path, which ends with Belly and Conrad getting together while Jeremiah finds a new love interest, was enough for directed attacks on the actor to multiply. The frustration of some fans over their favorite character’s ‘happy ending’ turned into direct harassment.
The Actor’s Response: “It’s a Work of Fiction”
Aware of the negative backlash, Gavin Casalegno took drastic action to protect his mental health. In an interview, he stated that the situation forced him to step away from his own social media. ‘I don’t check Instagram anymore, so I haven’t seen much of the hate,’ he said.
The actor made a point of emphasizing something that should be obvious to the public: the series is a work of fiction and Jeremiah’s actions do not reflect who he is as a person. This appeal for fans to separate the character from the actor highlights the seriousness of the situation, where immersion in the story crossed healthy boundaries.
Amazon Prime Video Takes a Stand Against Bullying
Even before the premiere of the final season, the Amazon Prime Video, aware of the hostile online atmosphere, launched an anti-bullying campaign on its social networks. The initiative aimed to protect both the crew and the audience from growing toxicity. However, as Gavin Casalegno himself realized, the action was not enough to stop the avalanche of negative messages and threats.
The situation in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ serves as a warning to the entertainment industry and fan culture. The passion for characters and stories is what drives the success of works like this, but it is essential that this admiration does not turn into harassment, risking the safety and well-being of artists.
The full series, with all its seasons, is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
