Yahoo News Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner defends Sansa's controversial line about abuse
Note: This article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones' final season.
Game of Thrones actors have been busy defending the final season from negative viewers' comments recently and Sophie Turner is no exception, with one of her lines causing controversy among viewers when it aired earlier in the season's run.
In season 8 episode 4 'The Last of the Starks', Sansa Stark reflected on the abuse she had received throughout the programme, saying that everything she had been through meant that she is no longer a "little bird".
Related: 9 questions that Game of Thrones left unanswered after series finale 'The Iron Throne'
Many weren't impressed with the writing and thought Sansa was actually crediting her abusers for who she became.
Speaking to the NY Times, Sansa actress Sophie Turner said: "I obviously think that's not a message to spread. But I don't think that was the intention.
"It was that she was strong in spite of all of the horrific things that she's gone through, not because of them. She's had resilience since the very beginning, and despite all of these awful things that happened to her, she's kept that resilience.
"Sansa to the core is resilient and brave and strong, and that had nothing to do with her abusers."
Sophie also defended the show following the launch of a petition to remake the final series with "competent writers", which has now reached over 1 million signatures.
"The thing about Game of Thrones that's always been amazing is the fact that there's always been crazy twists and turns, right from season one with Ned's beheading," she said.
"So Daenerys becoming something of the Mad Queen – it shouldn't be such a negative thing for fans. It's a shock for sure, but I think it's just because it hasn't gone their way."
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She added: "All of these petitions and things like that – I think it's disrespectful to the crew, and the writers, and the filmmakers who have worked tirelessly over 10 years, and for 11 months shooting the last season.
"Like 50-something night shoots. So many people worked so, so hard on it, and for people to just rubbish it because it's not what they want to see is just disrespectful."
Game of Thrones aired on HBO in the US, and you can also catch up on the show via Hulu. Viewers in the UK can catch up via Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.
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