A 17-year-old actress and singer has been harassed by internet users after a video allegedly showing her and her boyfriend engaging in a private activity circulated on social media.
The video appears to have been originally posted on the actress’ Instagram account.
After the video was removed from Instagram, it continued to circulate on Twitter and TikTok on Wednesday. In response to a slew of derogatory messages, the actress turned off the comments section on her Instagram account.
The star’s family also received hate messages.
The actress’ older sister tweeted on Thursday that many people were criticizing the star’s parents for the video. People had sent her and the actress’ brother direct messages that included, “Tell your sister it was her fault.”
The star’s mother asked people to stop bullying her daughter in an Instagram video on Thursday. “Nothing is more important than my daughter’s mental health and safety. Please stop judging her. I’m with her no matter what,” she said.
Some internet users highlighted the apparent gender-based double standard in the scandal.
“You guys are judging [the actress] but not [her boyfriend] who’s the one that touched her breast while she was making [an Instagram] Story. [This] is proof that Indonesians really do have a double standard for women, and I’m so [expletive] tired of that,” one Twitter user wrote on Thursday.
Others claimed the act could not be considered consensual because the actress was a minor according to Law No. 23/2002 on child protection. (aly)
