When you’ve lost a loved one, it helps to have people you can talk to about what you’re going through. Or not talk to—everyone’s grief experience is different, and the support people need takes on different forms. It can be having a shoulder to cry on or just knowing that there are people out there who care about you, even if you’re not ready to reach out to them.
I’m pretty sure what no one, needs, though, is complete strangers Tweeting graphic photoshopped images of their dead loved one’s body. People, what the fuck?!
That’s what happened to Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda (yup, named after the video game character). After her father’s death, Williams shared the following The Little Prince quote:
— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) August 12, 2014
…Then took to Tumblr for her “only statement” on her father’s untimely passing. It’s incredibly touching. And then there’s this:
To those he touched who are sending kind words, know that one of his favorite things in the world was to make you all laugh. As for those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on your car. Right after youve had it washed. After all, he loved to laugh too
What the crispy fried hell? Trolls, have you no shame? I mean, no, I know you don’t, but Jesus Christ.
Things got worse when two users sent Williams the aforementioned photoshopped images, prompting her to tweet the following (now-deleted): “Please report @PimpStory @MrGoosebuster. I’m shaking. I can’t. Please. Twitter requires a link and I won’t open it. Don’t either. Please.” Just Jared tells us they called her some “awful words” as well, but we can’t see what those are, because thankfully their accounts have been suspended.
Williams also caught some flak for, of all things, sharing photos of herself and her father on social media. She writes on Instagram:
“I will be leaving this account for a but while I heal and decide if I’ll be deleting it or not. In this difficult time, please try to be respectful of the accounts of myself, my family and my friends. Mining our accounts for photos of dad, or judging me on the number of them is cruel and unnecessary. There are a couple throughout, but the real private moments I shared with him were precious, quiet, and believe it or not, not full of photos or ‘selfies’. I shared him with a world where everyone was taking their photo with him, but I was lucky enough to spend time with him without cameras too. That was more than enough, and I’m grateful for what little time I had. My favorite photos of family are framed in my house, not posted on social media, and they ‘ll remain there. They would’ve wound up on the news or blogs then, and they certainly would now. That’s not what I want for our memories together. Thank you for your respect and understanding in this difficult time. Goodbye. Xo”
And she’s stepping back from Twitter as well:
I’m sorry. I should’ve risen above. Deleting this from my devices for a good long time, maybe forever. Time will tell. Goodbye. — Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) August 13, 2014
I don’t think I need to tell any of you this, because our readers are generally pretty awesome people, but flinging negativity at someone when they’re grieving: NOT OK. Even with said negativity takes a more benign form than those pictures. You have opinions about how many pictures Williams shares (???!!!?)? Keep them to yourself. When you lose a loved one, you’re in survival mode. Don’t be dicks.
On other Robin Willams-related Twitter news, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences is under fire by suicide-prevention groups for this Tweet, which they say glorifies suicide:
Genie, you’re free. pic.twitter.com/WjA9QuuldD
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) August 12, 2014
“If it doesn’t cross the line, it comes very, very close to it,” says Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “Suicide should never be presented as an option. That’s a formula for potential contagion.”
Everybody just keep looking out for each other, OK? Try to be kind.
(via BuzzFeed, The Guardian, image by Marius Pirvu)
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