The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ cast issued a statement of support on Monday for the movie’s former director, James Gunn, who was fired after past homophobic and racist tweets resurfaced earlier this month.
Vin Diesel, Chris Pratt and Bradley Cooper, among many others, signed the letter that was addressed to their fans and friends.
“We cannot let this moment pass without expressing our love, support and gratitude for James,” the letter said.
“There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial,” it added. “Given the growing political divide in this country, it’s safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality.”
Gunn tweeted racist, anti-semitic, homophobic and rape-related remarks on the social media platform dating back to 2008, and was subsequently fired for it. (RELATED: After Attacking Conservatives Disney Filmmaker’s Tweets Reveal Racism, Homophobia, And Incidents Of Sexual Assault Against Children)
“It is our hope that what has transpired can serve as an example for all of us to realize the enormous responsibility we have to ourselves and to each other regarding the use of our written words when we etch them in digital stone,” the letter concluded.