Amy Schumer has denied that she was “shading” Tom Holland when she created a video poking fun at her mental health and social media usage after fans accused her of mocking the actor’s announcement that he would be taking a break from the platforms.
This week, the Spider-Man: Homecoming star revealed that he would be taking a step back from social media to prioritise his mental health, with Holland telling his fans he had deleted the apps from his phone.
“I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming,” the 26 year old explained in a video posted to Instagram. “I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online and ultimately it’s very detrimental to my mental state. So I decided to take a step back and delete the app.”
Just a day later, Schumer shared her own video about mental health and social media usage to the platform, where she joked that she would be doing “more social media” for her mental wellbeing.
“Hey y’all. I’ve decided, for my own mental health, to do more social media. I find that looking at my phone for eight and a half hours a day is helping me, and it’s helping this pimple patch and this breakout. And being in my 40s, it’s actually really good for me to watch all of Love Island and all of The Bachelors, whether in paradise or just normal mansions,” Schumer said.
The comedian concluded the video adding: “So you’ll be seeing a lot more of me on social media, just for my physical and mental wellbeing.”
The 41-year-old’s post prompted mixed responses from her fans and followers, with some finding humour in the video while others suggested that Schumer had made the video in response to Holland’s own video about mental health.
“Amy Schumer? You mocking a person raising awareness and providing tools for young people to deal with their mental health is precisely the reason why Tom Holland stays away from toxic social media. Thank you for proving his point,” one person tweeted.
Another asked: “Is Amy Schumer’s video on IG in response/making fun of Tom Holland’s? Because it’s not funny.”
“Are you not ashamed of yourself? Tom has talked about his struggle, was vulnerable, then he showed his support for [an] organisation that helps the younger generation to improve their mental health and all you do is make fun of it? @amyschumer disgusting,” someone else wrote.
The backlash over her video prompted a response from the comedian, who clarified in a post shared to her Instagram Stories that she was not referring to Holland when she made the clip.
“Not shading Spider-Man. Making fun of myself. Of course social media is toxic,” Schumer wrote on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday along with a spider emoji.
In Holland’s video, shared on 13 August, the actor used the opportunity to speak about the teenage mental health charity Stem4, which he sponsors, before thanking those who took the time to listen.
“So again thank you for listening. I’m going to disappear from Instagram again,” he said. “And to everyone out there thanks for your love and support. I love you all, and I’ll speak to you soon.”
