Actress Shailene Woodley defended her decision to share a letter from Melania Trump following an assassination attempt on former President Trump.
The star, most well known for starring in the “Divergent” film triology, faced backlash but explained that she was moved by the message’s compassion and couldn’t understand the violent rhetoric she saw in response to the attempt.
“I posted that letter because I thought it was a beautiful message of human compassion, and then I forgot about it because I have a life and I don’t live for what social media says,” Woodley said.
Woodley criticized the rush to cancel people on social media, noting how destructive it is to jump to conclusions without understanding someone’s intent.
“Literally, I read it and I was like, ‘This is so beautiful.’ I was in circles of people that I deeply respect — friends, colleagues, progressive, very intelligent thinkers, shakers and movers — and many of them were saying, ‘He missed! [Expletive] assassin missed! Maybe it was a setup. Maybe it was a conspiracy.’ I was going, ‘Have we forgotten that two human lives were taken?’ Two people died. That is sad. That is devastating. I could not understand how people were speaking about something with such passion for death,” she continued.
Melania Trump, who wrote the statement on July 14, thanked the Secret Service agents and law enforcement who put their lives in danger to protect Trump.
“A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s passion – his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband’s life – his human side – were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times,” the statement read.
Woodley said she faced criticism after posting the sentiments to her story.
“I was like, “Oh my God, that is now this? Hundreds of articles because I posted about a woman saying she’s grateful her husband is alive? Really?” she said.
“It made me shake my head. If [who I am] is not coming through in the way that I’m intending, I’m not going to participate on social media. I participate in my own ways now that maybe are less public because I want to add to the right noise. I don’t want to add to unnecessary noise,” she continued.