Nigerian-American actress Ayo Edebiri has revealed that she received “insane death threats” and racial slurs after billionaire businessman Elon Musk shared a false report about her in February 2024.
The viral fake news alleged that Disney was considering replacing Johnny Depp with Ayo Edebiri in a reboot of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Musk, reacting to the claim, dismissed it with a blunt post on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Disney sucks.”
Edebiri believes that Musk’s amplification of the false report led to a wave of violent threats and racist attacks directed at her.
Taking to her Instagram Story, she reflected on the experience:
“Just remembering when I got some of the most insane death threats and racial slurs of my life (idk if it’s the #1 moment, but for sure top 3) for a fake reboot of a movie I had never even heard of because of this man. LMAO. So not only is he [Elon Musk] double Sieg Heil-ing fascist, he’s an idiot, but anyway.”
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐤’𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝
Edebiri’s revelation has reignited debates about Elon Musk’s influence on misinformation and online harassment. Since acquiring X, Musk has been accused of promoting unverified claims and downplaying online abuse.
Critics argue that his comments and actions embolden hate groups, while supporters claim that he advocates for free speech, even if it includes controversial opinions.
Meanwhile, Disney has never made any official announcement regarding Edebiri’s involvement in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, further proving that the story was baseless.
