Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner has criticised Piers Morgan for suggesting celebrities talk about mental health because it is “fashionable”.
Good Morning Britain host Morgan quoted an article on Twitter, which featured Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard questioning stars’ motives for discussing illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Callard, who plays Liz McDonald in Corrie, said there was a danger it could become “fashionable” to talk about mental health.
Morgan said: “She’ll be hammered for saying this, but it’s 100% true.”
Turner, who plays Sansa Stark in Game Of Thrones, replied to his tweet and wrote: “Or maybe they (celebrities) have a platform to speak out about it and help get rid of the stigma of mental illness which affects 1 in 4 people in UK per year. But please go ahead and shun them back into silence.”
Turner, 22, added: “T***.”
The actress later shared several tweets about mental health and criticised anyone who jokes about the subject.
Part 1 : People who think it’s okay to make jokes about mental illness, I feel you must be lucky, because surely you don’t understand or can’t comprehend what it is like to have or know someone with an illness like this.
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) January 9, 2019
She said: “People who think it’s okay to make jokes about mental illness, I feel you must be lucky, because surely you don’t understand or can’t comprehend what it is like to have or know someone with an illness like this.”
Part 2 Depression is the second biggest killer in affluent Europe and America. One of the greatest reasons being, I believe, is because mental illness has so much stigma surrounding it.
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) January 9, 2019
Part 3. If we can just all speak out about our experiences or our loved ones experiences we can help other people who suffer with mental illness not feel so alone. Let’s keep this dialogue going.
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) January 9, 2019
Part 4. You are not alone, you can manage your illness, and people who make fun of it are the minority… not you. You are loved and supported.
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) January 9, 2019
Turner, who is engaged to pop star Joe Jonas, said there is a stigma attached to mental health and that it is important to “keep this dialogue going” so people who suffer do not “feel so alone”.
She added: “You are not alone, you can manage your illness, and people who make fun of it are the minority… not you. You are loved and supported.”
Approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, according to the charity Mind.
In England, one in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem, such as anxiety and depression, in any given week, the charity said.