Simu Liu Faces Backlash For Publicly Calling Out A TikToker Who Claimed He Can’t Handle Criticism

Simu Liu V TikTok

Marvel actor Simu Liu is being brutally roasted online after a TikToker claimed that he is unable to handle “a single speck of criticism.”

I want to start by saying that I’m not a ‘yuge superhero movie fan. I think the only superhero flick I froth over is Halle Berry‘s 2004 Catwoman, and that’s not even Marvel. But I was so stoked when it was announced that Simu Liu would become the first Asian superhero in the Marvel cinematic universe in 2021 as Shang-Chi.

Being of Southeast Asian descent, I was just happy to see people who looked like me on the big screen as the protagonist. The only speck of representation that was specifically Southeast Asian for me was Kathleen De Leon Jones from Hi-5 ( if you’re reading this Kath, I love ya xx).

Back to Liu, the actor was praised for being a beacon of Asian representation in mainstream media. However, people are slowly turning on the Marvel actor after he started to clap back at folks who have spoken about him negatively.

It all began when journalist Ian Kumamoto wrote an article about Liu with the headline: “We Love Simu Liu, But He’s Not The Only Talented Asian Thirst Trap In Hollywood”.

To give you a quick TL;DR on this piece: Kumamoto began the article with excitement for Liu’s upcoming movie, Barbie. 

Source: Instagram / @Simuliu

Kumamoto then noted an observation he had, where he claimed Liu seemed to be ” getting the bulk of Asian male roles in Hollywood” and that it started “to feel a little less like representation and a lot more like tokenism.”

The article then proceeds to list a bunch of other amazing Asian actors that Hollywood should’ve cast as Ken, including The Good Place‘s Manny JacintoJackson Wang and Steven Yeun.

Although the article was published on April 11, the HuffPost re-shared the opinion piece on their Facebook a week later, and surprisingly, Liu replied via his personal FB account.

Liu said: “Way to attempt to put us against one another. What ‘bulk’ of roles are you referring to? Are there movies I’m in that I’m not aware of? Do you really think that there is a quota of ‘Asian male roles’ that is a zero-sum game?”

“Everything I have taken post Shang-Chi was not written Asian. We’ve been able to reshape stories to get more representation onscreen. Get your facts straight,” Liu added.

Folks praised the actor for his response to the article, with one person labelling the story as “totally unnecessary.”

Fast forward to earlier this week, Kumamoto posted a TikTok featuring his controversial article and a screenshot of a DM he received from Liu. And honestly, the video was just a cute meme and nothing bad was said about Liu.

@chino_cholo Happy AAPI month 🫠 #aapi #barbie #asianamerican ♬ оригінальний звук – Schizodiesel

Even though it was just a little bit of banter, Liu responded to the TikTok a day later.

Liu wrote in the comments: “Nice man! I thought we ended up having a great nuanced conversation about the dynamics of Hollywood but hey, chase that cloutttttttt.”

Kumamoto replied to Liu, writing, “Simu, you are the clout you could end this by ignoring me.” Ooft.

@lordazothmain #greenscreen i screenshotted this earlier today cus what 🤯🤯 (yes i was spam liking comments LMAO) this is hilarious to me #simuliu #asiandiaspora #aapiheritagemonth ♬ Get Fn Wrecked – 𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙂𝘼𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙍

With the Marvel actor slowly returning to the headlines because of Barbie and Kumamoto’s article, another TikToker who goes by @Parisbynightcore made a video about her thoughts on Liu.

@parisbynightcoreself serving, thats it.♬ original sound – 🍪

She said: “It pisses me off so bad that Simu Liu is now the face of the Asian diaspora.”

“Like, he literally thinks that his presence in Hollywood is like the end all be all of Asian representation.

“Like the man cannot handle a single speck of criticism. The ego is more fragile than glass.”

Besides slamming the actor for his inability to take criticism, she also referenced Liu’s alleged “homophobic incel adjacent past.”

In 2021, TMZ reported that the actor allegedly compared pedophilia to being gay on Reddit.

Not too long after @Parisbynightcore posted her critical TikTok, Liu shared a screenshot of her video onto his IG account alongside some text picking her opinion apart. Her username was also uncensored.

Source: Instagram / @Simuliu

Liu wrote: “I was, for some reason, mentioned in this story, so I figured I might as well share it.”

“A) Definitely not the face of the Asian diaspora we are literally in a golden era of Asian representation and that’s what’s so exciting is that there’s room for so many of us.

“B) Definitely not homophobic or incel (but what the ACTUAL fuck is that accusation.)”

The actor closed his rant by telling the TikToker to “get the help she needs,” which I definitely think is problematic.

Since the actor posted his response on IG, many folks have accused him of weaponising his followers against @Parisbynightcore.

In response to Liu, @Parisbynightcore posted a second video where she showed the actor’s story, saying, “he still can’t handle criticisms.”

@parisbynightcore #stitch with @🍪 ♬ original sound – 🍪

One person commented: “He [Simu Liu] has Google alerts for his name.”

“he’s watching. Lurking in the shadows, peeking out from behind trees. Just waiting, begging for someone to utter his name in even slight contempt, ” another person added.

As of writing this article, Liu has not yet responded to Kumamoto, @Parisbynightcore or anyone else who has called him out for his IG story.

Now as someone who seeks representation, as mentioned earlier, it is quite disappointing that this is how Liu responds and reacts to those who don’t like him.

It’s honestly giving chronically online vibes.

But hey, Simu Liu, if you’re reading this and you end up sharing this article — just know that telling someone to “get help” because they don’t like you is so uncalled for.

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