Leslie Jones has shared her experiences with racist and sexist social media messages following her 2016 Ghostbusters film and criticized Jason Reitman for his prior comments regarding the movie in her new memoir, titled “Leslie F*cking Jones.”
In her memoir, the comedian and actress reflects on her career and her role in the female-led Ghostbusters film alongside Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, and Melissa McCarthy.
She also condemns Jason Reitman’s statements in 2019 about the Paul Feig-directed film, describing them as “unforgivable.”
When Reitman announced he would be directing Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), a sequel to his late father’s original Ghostbusters movies from 1984 and 1989, he made remarks that raised eyebrows.
He mentioned that he was not making a Ghostbusters movie like “Juno,” a reference to his 2007 film centered on a pregnant teenager.
Reitman stated during an episode of Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast, “We are in every way trying to go back to the original technique and hand the movie back to the fans.”
In response to the backlash his comments received, Reitman clarified his stance on X (formerly Twitter), acknowledging that his words “came out wrong” and expressing admiration for the 2016 Ghostbusters cast.
However, Leslie Jones asserts in her memoir that the damage had already been done. She interprets Reitman’s reference to “giving the movie back to the fans” as a nod to those who criticized the all-female cast of the 2016 film.
Jones also recalls the online abuse she endured even before the movie’s release, describing it as a harrowing experience.
Jones questions the cruelty people display online and laments the hate directed toward her and her female co-stars. She highlights that some individuals were particularly incensed by the fact that one of the lead characters in the movie was a Black woman.
Jones had previously expressed her disappointment in 2019 regarding Reitman’s Ghostbusters project and felt it was disregarding the female-led reboot, calling it insulting and a “dick move.”