TOWIE’s Bobby Norris has bravely spoken out about about the abuse he receives online as a result of his openness about his sexuality.
Speaking on FUBAR Radio he revealed that homophobic trolls had sent him graphic, Photoshopped images and videos of him being beheaded, hung and in a coffin. He admitted that this week the abuse had got so bad that he has had to leave his social media platforms temporarily.
Chatting to his co-host Stephen Leng, Bobby said: “This is next level. I’ve never experienced or seen anything of this severity. From waking up to going asleep, it’s boom, boom, boom. It’s constant. It’s not slowing down, it’s not giving up.”
33-year-old Bobby also shared some of the videos and images to his Instagram Stories in order to raise awareness of the online abuse that he faces daily.
He did, however, mention that “there’s been a few that I feel so shocked, traumatised even from what I’ve seen, I’m just like I can’t, it can’t be shared.”
In 2019, Bobby set up the End The Trend To Troll campaign as an attempt to make online trolling a criminal offence and ensure the trolls are accountable for their actions.
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The petition he created states: “it's far too easy for online trolls to just create another email address and another social media account if they have their accounts suspended… However, if their internet service providers were required to block their access to social media, and social media companies blocked their IP addresses, it would be far harder for them to get another account and continue their abuse."
Since creating the petition 18 months ago, Bobby has had talks in Downing Street and the House of Commons in an attempt to garner support. Speaking on his radio show he explained how the abuse that he faced online had triggered him to take action.
“It’s so, so detrimental to people. It can affect people’s mental health. Social media can be the most amazing place and such a great tool. We can connect to people all around the world. As a whole, when used properly, it’s a great thing, but the dark side of it is very dark.”