Asia Argento has “found herself on the receiving end of vicious cyberbullying and repulsive slander at the hands of internet trolls who hold her responsible for Anthony’s death” according to a new letter signed by nearly fifty #MeToo activists. 

The group of ‘silence breakers’ has penned an open letter to express solidarity with Argento. 

Published by the LA Times and available to read in the UK here,  the letter has been signed by 45 activists including Terry Crews, Rose McGowan and Patricia Arquette. 

The op-ed, titled “An open letter to anyone who loves Anthony Bourdain and what he stood for”, points out Bourdain’s support of the #MeToo movement.

“[Argento] has been accused of everything from causing her boyfriend’s suicide to trying to use her ‘survivor status’ and the #MeToo movement to advance her career,” it reads. 

“We are here to ask those who are angry and grieving the loss of Anthony to find a healthy outlet for their pain. Asia is a survivor, just as we are, and her fame and outward show of strength does not make her any less vulnerable. Asia is not a headline — she is a human being, and she is in horrific pain.”

“Our standing up for her is standing up to any and all bullies. We implore you to be kind to each other, to believe survivors, to stand up for survivors, to encourage, support and sympathise with them.”

Yet others have rallied behind Argento. 

Argento’s friend Rose McGowan has already spoken out on the issue, saying that “we need to have a conversation about suicide… blame is not that conversation.”

“I know so many around the world thought of Anthony Bourdain as a friend and when a friend dies, it hurts,” she wrote. 

“Many of these people who lost their ‘friend’ are wanting to lash out and blame. You must not sink to that level. Suicide is a horrible choice, but it is that person’s choice.”

“Do NOT do the sexist thing and burn a woman on the pyre of misplaced blame,” she continued. “Anthony’s internal war was his war, but now she’s been left on the battlefield to take the bullets. It is in no way fair or acceptable to blame her or anyone else, not even Anthony.

“We are asking you to be better, to look deeper, to read and learn about mental illness, suicide and depression before you make it worse for survivors by judging that which we do not understand, that which can never fully be understood. Sometimes we are stuck in the unknowable, and that is where we are now, a massive wave of darkness that threatens to swallow everyone in its wake.”

Images: Getty