Racism tends to show its face often when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy fanbases, but House of the Dragon's Bethany Antonia isn't letting it get to her.
Bethany plays the fearless Princess Baela Targaryen in the popular HBO prequel series to Game of Thrones, which explores the reign of House Targaryen and the Targaryen civil war.
Baela is the daughter of King Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon. She also has a twin sister Rhaena Targaryen and two half-brothers, Aegon and Viserys. Baela is the oldest of her siblings.
Baela is a dragon rider, and her dragon is named Moondancer.
With the Season 2 premiere just months away, the cast has been preparing themselves and fans for what's to come. That includes sharing stills from upcoming scenes...
...as well as the official new trailer.
View this video on YouTube
But as the excitement grew within the fanbase, so did the disdain from others. On Friday, Bethany shared a horrific DM she received on Instagram that was filled with racist remarks and death threats.
Bethany, who also starred in the Netflix series Stay Close, addressed the hatred-filled DM, adding, "Wait till they find out I'm gay too..."
She then posted a photo of herself smiling, ensuring she wasn't going to let bigots steal her joy, or the happiness of other Black cast members and fans.
Well, it didn't take long for true supporters of the show to counteract that hate with love, by commenting words of encouragement on both Instagram and Twitter. It was extremely beautiful to see.
Please enjoy just some of the sweet sentiments below:
Long live Lady Baela and down with all of those navigating life with negativity.
