The Walking Dead is filled with characters who aren't exactly heroes, and some have been known to jump back and forth from side to side. Eugene switched loyalties pretty quickly in Season 7 after being captured by the Saviors, and many fans weren't too happy with him. Unfortunately, some fans took to social media to rant at actor Josh McDermitt for his character's actions, and he even received a number of death threats. Now, McDermitt has deactivated his social media accounts.
The online comments may have gotten so bad that Josh McDermitt decided to deactivate all of his major social media accounts, which includes Twitter, Facebook, and Instragram. He hasn't made any formal announcement about what finally drove him to leave social media altogether, but given some of the abuse he's clearly taken online, I doubt that any of us can blame him. One Walking Dead fan managed to save McDermitt's final Facebook live video before his Facebook page was deactivated, and it shows his heartbreaking reaction to the complaints he was getting:
Kudos to Josh McDermitt for remembering to thank the fans who have been kind to him; I would have totally understood if he only thought to focus on the folks who were wishing harm to him because of a fictional character's actions. The poor guy looks emotionally destroyed in the video. He was apparently receiving a lot of the hate for what Eugene did when all he is responsible for is the performance that made Eugene such an interesting - if not especially admirable - zombie apocalypse survivor in Season 7. Although we can't say for sure what exactly drove McDermitt from social media entirely, it's evident that he had more than enough reasons to step away.
Sadly, he's not the only member of the Walking Dead cast who has gotten social media abuse due to work on the series. Alanna Masterson took some heat for her appearance when she was pregnant and nursing, and she posted on Instagram to call out the online trolls who were criticizing how she looked. Norman Reedus has also spoken about fans who complain online, going so far as to say "I think too many people are on the Internet... But you gotta stop." The stars of The Walking Dead seem to put up with a lot of harsh comments from viewers. We can be sure that they also get plenty of praise, and Josh McDermitt has had people on Twitter speaking up in his defense, but enough must be enough.
We'll have to wait and see if Josh McDermitt ever makes it back to social media. If he does, I only hope that people remember that he and Eugene are not the same person and do not direct their hatred at the actor. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well.
