Anne Hathaway reflects on ‘Hathahate’ 10 years later
Anne Hathaway has opened up on the online hatred she received roughly 10 years ago, then called “Hathahate”.
The actor was the subject of widespread scrutiny for her “annoying” earnestness in the lead-up to her winning an Oscar for her role in Les Misérables.
Hathaway discussed the phenomenon at Elle‘s Women in Hollywood event on Tuesday (October 18), per The Independent, commenting on her familiarity with “the language of hatred”.
“Ten years ago, I was given an opportunity to look at the language of hatred from a new perspective,” the actor said at the event.
“When your self-inflicted pain is suddenly somehow amplified back at you at, say, the full volume of the internet… It’s a thing.”
Elsewhere in the speech, Hathaway said: “When what happened, happened, I realised I had no desire to have anything to do with this line of energy. On any level. I would no longer create art from this place. I would no longer hold space for it, live in fear of it, nor speak its language for any reason. To anyone. Including myself.
“Hate seems to me to be the opposite of life; in soil that harsh, nothing can grow properly, if at all.”
Last year, Anne Hathaway had commented on the backlash and said it had been “a really good thing” for her.
“I really don’t want to dredge up the past but I did have my monster out there, I did have the internet turn on me and hate me and it was like a whole big thing,” Hathaway said.
“And it was a really good thing for me personally. You can be incredibly empowered because of those things. So I guess what I’d say is when the bad shit happens, don’t fear it — just go with it, flow with it.”
The post Anne Hathaway reflects on ‘Hathahate’ 10 years later appeared first on NME.
Ella Kemp
NME
