Yahoo News Rosie Jones discusses impact of ableist abuse: ‘I don’t want to lie anymore’
Rosie Jones has addressed ableist abuse she has received throughout her life, admitting she doesn’t “want to lie” about its impact any further.
The Would I Lie To You? star, who won an Attitude Award in 2020, has cerebral palsy.
The comic will further explore the topic in next week’s Channel 4 documentary Rosie Jones: Am I A R*tard? – the controversial title of which has generated much debate in the disabled community and beyond.
"I've come to a point in my life where I don't want to lie anymore"@JosieRones tells us the impact the abuse she receives on social media has on her.#TheOneShow 👉 https://t.co/5YcpSiqJ73 pic.twitter.com/iYrmC9r6BU
— BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) July 11, 2023
“Happy optimistic character”
Speaking on The One Show on Tuesday 11 July, Jones was asked about the impact of abuse she’s received for having cerebral palsy. She described it as “huge.”
Jones replied: “As a comedian, a happy optimistic character, I have spent my entire career smiling through it all.”
She went on: “Saying: ‘Oh, Don’t worry. It doesn’t affect me. I can ignore it.’ But actually, I’ve come to a point in my life where I don’t want to lie anymore. I want to say: ‘I’m tired.’ It’s not up to me to ignore the abuse. It’s up to the abusers to know how damaging these things are. It’s up to them to be held accountable for their really damaging actions.”
"I really want to start a conversation around ableism "@JosieRones on why she has a controversial documentary title. #TheOneShow 👉 https://t.co/5YcpSiqJ73 pic.twitter.com/EnAgnp1xuX
— BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) July 11, 2023
Addressing the controversy of the presence of the term “r*tard” in the film’s title – which Jones herself describes a “shocking, ableist slur” – the The 8 Out of 10 Cats star explained: “That slur has been used against me pretty much every week for my entire life. And now the title has upset a lot of people from within the disabled community.
“But in my opinion, ableist slurs like the R word are not taken as seriously as other forms of abuse”.
The Yorkshire-born 33-year-old furthermore continued that the term was used to “start a conversation around ableism.”
The actress and writer is also known for work on Disability Benefits, Sex Education and Sky Comedy Shorts.
Rosie Jones: Am I A R*tard? airs on Thursday 20 July on Channel 4 at 10pm.
The post Rosie Jones discusses impact of ableist abuse: ‘I don’t want to lie anymore’ appeared first on Attitude.
