Stephanie Tyler Jones, the face model for Mary-Jane Watson in Insomniac’s Spider-Man games, says she has recently been experiencing harassment from fans, with at least one person even phoning her workplace.
In a Jan. 8 post on her Instagram page (which has been shared on X and Reddit as well), Jones explained she appreciates the positive reception she’s received for her role in the Spider-Man games, but some of her followers had “crossed boundaries.” The only example she gives is one individual who left multiple voicemails at her workplace asking to speak with Jones and that she call them back, which unsurprisingly made her feel “unsafe and uncomfortable.”
Jones added she’s no longer auditioning for actor or model jobs but instead pursuing a career in skincare. As such, her skincare page is “not for Spider-Man or MJ fans … Please respect that I am a human being trying to make a living just like you, and I kindly ask for boundaries not to be crossed. Messages will not be answered, I will block you if you make me feel uncomfortable and you can unfollow me if this disappoints you.”
MJ’s appearance in Spider-Man 2 was unfairly criticized by some players for being “mid” and “ugly,” but Jones’ comments suggest it was overly enthusiastic supporters who’ve been harassing her rather than detractors. That obviously doesn’t make it any better. Even if you think you’re being complimentary, repeatedly attempting to contact someone, especially at their place of work, is still harassment. It’s “unacceptable and considered stalking,” Jones said.
Either way, it’s an incredibly disappointing situation, even if it’s sadly commonplace. Just last year, Lily Gao, the voice actor for Ada Wong in the Resident Evil 4 remake, had to shut down her Instagram page after receiving a flood of harassment over her performance (via Eurogamer).
