As a leading lady in one of the West End’s most loved musicals, she ought to be used to a little criticism.
But actress Sofia Escobar, who is playing Christine in Phantom Of The Opera, took particular exception to a flippant remark made by a fan on Twitter.
She then embarked on a very public rant.
The row began when a 48-year-old housewife from Twickenham sent a tweet directly to her friend discussing the musical — which she has seen 80 times — which ended with: “Ah but u know I can’t stand Sofia…”
The tweet was not tagged or direct messaged at Escobar’s Twitter account.
So the only way the Portuguese-born performer, 27, could have seen it was by searching out her name on Twitter — or if the message was brought to her attention by someone who had done so.
A day after the initial message, the housewife, who has asked us not to reveal her name but tweets under the name SHkiyolove, then received a tweet from Escobar reading: “It’s ok cause I can’t stand you either ;) x”
Escobar’s boyfriend, Spanish actor Gonzalo Ramos then weighed in, tweeting: “Lack of taste is ok, lack of education is just sad, something to think about cause u’ve already got some years behind u.”
The housewife immediately apologised — but she was then accused of cyber-bullying by Escobar, a former Guildhall pupil who has played Christine at Her Majesty’s Theatre for two years.
The actress wrote: “I take criticism very well. But one thing is to criticise and one v different is to be offensive, disrespectful and mean. To me, ‘I don’t like her portrayal’ sounds v dif to ‘I can’t stand her’.”
The ranting continued, with a tweet which read: “Just because I’m a performer that gives people the right to insult me without me being able to defend myself? I don’t think so.”
And it went on: “My job doesn’t make me super human and respect goes down well no matter what profession people have. And I won’t be insulted and not stand up for myself. Just because I’m a performer it doesn’t give you a free pass to bullying.”
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The housewife also received a series of insulting tweets from Escobar’s fans. Today she said that the actress should have had a thicker skin: “How can you get angry over such a stupid comment? It’s laughable.
"I can understand actors hating anything negative written about them, but to take it on a personal level like this? And against a mere punter like myself who only expressed her honest opinion as a theatre lover?
“She has accused me of cyber-bullying but many people have now said to me that they think she is the one who is the cyber-bully.”
A spokesman for the musical and Escobar declined to comment.
