Daisy Ridley stands up to online troll

Actress Daisy Ridley has said she “will not apologise” for her body in response to criticism on social media that she is too thin.

An Instagram user posted a photo of Ridley’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens character Rey, with a speech bubble which read: “I can’t believe the unrealistic expectations I’m setting for young girls. Who cast me anyway? Don’t they know real women have curves?”

The 23-year-old Londoner defended her figure, saying: “‘Real women’ are all shapes and sizes, all ethnicities, all levels of brave.

“I am a ‘real woman’ like every other woman in this world,” she added, before deleting the Instagram post because it included the original poster’s name. The Instagram user who posted the initial critique has deleted their account.

In a long re-post on the same theme, Ridley opened up about her thoughts on body image and insisted she was happy with her looks.

“What’s weird is most of the time I see such gorgeous messages from people around the world,” her updated post began. “People who relate to something in Rey they haven’t found in a female character before ... People who loved that The Force Awakens has multiple incredible female characters.

“It is much more hurtful to continue to slate other women than BE a woman, BE a character, BE whoever you want to be.

“I’m a normal girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances, just like Rey. I will not apologise for how I look, what I say and how I live my life because what’s happening inside is much more important anyway and I am striving to be the best version of myself, even if I stumble along the way.”

Ridley concluded by thanking people who “celebrate each other” and included some advice for those who have a problem with anyone else: “Remember that expression, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

“Kindness isn’t going to cure the world of all its awfulness but it’s a good place to begin.”

Ridley has started work alongside John Boyega and original star Mark Hamill on the next instalment in the blockbusting franchise, Star Wars Episode VIII which will be released in 2017.