How The Boys Star Erin Moriarty Feels About Those Plastic Surgery Comments
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An untold truth of Starlight (Erin Moriarty) on "The Boys" is that her part was expanded for the Prime Video series compared to the comic books. In the show, she's a symbol of fighting oppression, finding her voice and pushing back against sexist notions, like needing to wear a skimpy superhero outfit. Unfortunately, real life mirrors fiction, with Moriarty having to defend herself against misogynistic comments concerning her appearance, and while she may not have the power to project light, she's fighting back in her own way.
In January, Moriarty quit Instagram after a plastic surgery controversy where pictures of her looking slightly different emerged on social media, with many people critiquing her perceived look. In a conversation with The New York Times, the actor explained what those comments meant to her. "For a few months, I thought my career was over," she confessed. "Because there was so much attention brought to something that I was told never to address." The fact Moriarty was told "never to address" the situation only compounds the issue, as it further stigmatizes plastic surgery when it's really a decision left to an individual and is no one else's business.
Later in the chat, Moriarty talked about receiving messages from other women who have dealt with harassment. It inspired her to change the narrative. "I had left it on a note where I'd explicitly said that I had been heartbroken by the comments," she explained. "Now, I'm not heartbroken. I'm galvanized." It's messaging worthy of Starlight herself.
Erin Moriarty received support from her The Boys family
The Erin Moriarty plastic surgery situation is something that never should've happened, but online trolls can be just as terrible as Homelander (Antony Starr). Moriarty coming back to an online realm could be seen as paralleling the symbolism of Starlight's outfits on "The Boys." Vought wants to give her a sexier outfit, but she goes back to wearing her more comfortable aesthetic. Starlight wasn't going to allow Vought to define her, and Moriarty won't allow online harassment to keep her from living her life, especially considering how she has the support of the cast and crew of "The Boys" backing her all the way.
Kimiko actor Karen Fukuhara provided quotes to The New York Times as well and stated her view of the whole situation: "I was really worried about her for a period of time. Nobody is bulletproof, even though I think she's close to it." Fukuhara also mentioned how the female cast members of "The Boys" would have "estrogen nights" to discuss their perspectives as women in the entertainment industry. Surely, hearing about what those close to her have also gone through, even if it wasn't as much in the public eye, helped Moriarty in finding the light at the end of the tunnel.
Additionally, "The Boys" showrunner Eric Kripke didn't mince words toward haters on X (formerly known as Twitter), writing, "Be kind. If you can't be kind, then eat a bag of d***s, f*** off to the sun & don't watch ['The Boys'], we don't want you." It should go without saying, but the attitudes of Homelander and Vought aren't to be emulated in real life. When it comes to reality, Erin Moriarty and the rest of the girls really do get the job done.