Amanda Abbington forced to call police after being bombarded with death threats from troll fans of Giovanni Pernice
23 June 2024, 12:24 | Updated: 23 June 2024, 13:02
Strictly star Amanda Abbington has rung the police after being bombarded with death threats from trolls.
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The 50-year-old actor has received dozens of horrendous messages a day from fans of her former Strictly dance partner, Giovanni Pernice, 33, who she has claimed bullied her.
The actor has got rid of her Instagram account having received dozens of messages a day from fans of the pro dancer.
One wrote: “I hope you get cancer and die. Poor Giovanni.”
Another says: “You nearly ruined Giovanni’s career you bitch, who do you think you are, you should crawl under a rock and die b***h.”
The actor has been in touch with local police officers to put in place protective measures for her and her family.
According to The Sun, a source said: “Amanda has been left petrified and feeling very vulnerable in public.
“She has been worried about leaving the house to do simple errands like walking the dog or picking up groceries.
"At one point she was struggling to field the hundreds of messages from Giovanni supporters saying nasty things and threatening her safety.
"It was awful to cope with. The sheer volume was horrendous and the content was unspeakable and incredibly threatening.
"The police have taken the messages seriously.”
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The source said Amanda made the decision to delete her Instagram earlier this month, but it had not stopped the trolls from reaching her.
They added: “It has felt like a real public pile on and got very ugly with personal, offensive attacks.”
At the BBC, the bullying probe into Italian star Giovanni is ongoing.
The dancer quit Strictly but firmly denies the allegations and has said he will clear his name.
There is no indication that he is aware of the trolls' messages to Amanda.
TV presenter Laura Whitmore, 39, is also contributing to the investigation which is being run by two former Met Police detectives.
Amanda has two children with her ex, the former Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman, and owns four dogs.
She was recently seen cuddling miniature dachshund Maple.
Earlier this year she was diagnosed with mild PTSD after her stint on Strictly.
She told The Sun on Sunday in January: “I’m very sorry that people felt the need to threaten my children and bring up my past, healthy relationship with an ex-partner as an indicator of my current mental health.”
The Sun revealed this month how Giovanni blocked the release of video tapes of his rehearsals after Amanda asked BBC bosses for them to prove her claims.
Last week he was pictured visiting two fruit machine arcades in West London, and an onlooker revealed he had spent £1,000 on the slot machines in one week.
Allegedly, he is in advanced talks to join the Italian version of Strictly, which is called Ballando con le Stelle as either a judge or pro dancer.
Last night a BBC spokesman said: “It is our longstanding position that we do not comment on specific matters relating to individuals.”
