Ashley Johnson, star of The Last of Us, made headlines when she reported her ex-boyfriend for domestic violence. Several of her Naughty Dog coworkers and admirers have spoken out in her defense since then.
Video game and animation fans may recognize Ashley Johnson from her performances as Terra in Teen Titans and Gretchen Grundler on Disney’s Recess, among many other roles. She has played a number of notable characters, but her breakout performance as Ellie in Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed video game series The Last of Us (TLOU) stands out.
The video game was eventually turned into a successful HBO series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as protagonists Joel and Ellie. Unlike the video games, Ashley’s portrayal of Anna, Ellie’s mother, earned her high reviews on the show.
But she made news again when she accused her ex-boyfriend, Brian Wayne Foster, of domestic violence and sought a restraining order to protect herself and her family. After hearing her tale and Brian’s threats on social media, her supporters have spoken out in her defense.
Fans show support for TLOU star Ashley Johnson on social media
Johnson claims in court papers that after a particularly nasty argument, her ex-boyfriend Brian Wayne Foster hacked into her home security system by altering the passwords to her Ring cameras.
The actress claims she and her family no longer feel secure in their own house because she fears Foster, is “close to the edge, has the ability to murder, and will cause harm not only to me but to them.”
“Due to (Brian) having attempted to extort $150,000 from me (television/film actress), his history of verbal abuse, his very unhinged mind due to his addictive use of narcotics, and several other reasons,” Ashley writes in the document, which also contains an Emergency Protective Order issued by the police on May 15, 2023.
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I’m personally not going to make a post about what Ashley Johnson has been going through with her now ex-boyfriend as it’s a personal matter that shouldn’t have outsiders speaking about it in the media.All I’ll say is that I hope she finds peace and that she doesn’t have to… pic.twitter.com/HHkUY0oj1d
— Naughty Dog World (@NaughtyDogWorld) May 22, 2023
Her legion of devoted followers have spoken out in her defense, wishing for her the end of online harassment and bullying. Many of them are praying for Johnson and her loved ones, and they have banded together to support her during the case.
When one of the fans saw the tweet, they responded, “She’s the best and doesn’t deserve to be treated any less. Heal up and keep moving forward”.
Another supporter who thinks these incidents should be discussed publicly rather than hidden away commented, “Being loud about cases of domestic abuse is also a way to protect the victim. That’s why Craig Mazin spoke out.”
Even though just a few of her coworkers opted to become involved, HBO TLOU’s creator, Craig Mazin, came out to show his support for her at this tough time by posting a picture of Ashley and expressing his gratitude for her work.
Fans of the video game and viewers alike have given The Last of Us overwhelmingly positive reviews since its premiere. Sources say that showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have begun pre-production on Season 2, which will be based on the second game and will include new characters.