Soap star Chelsee Healey says racist abuse has been directed at her five-year-old daughter.
Healey, who plays Goldie McQueen in the Channel 4 programme Hollyoaks, said that the remarks aimed at her daughter often leave her heartbroken.
“My daughter gets sent racist abuse through social media,” she told the Daily Star.
“I’ve been sent a lot of messages about Coco. When it’s about an innocent child it’s not nice. It’s heartbreaking. But I try not to reply back. I don’t entertain it.”
Healey also explained that she herself had been the victim of abuse online, particularly during her time on Strictly Come Dancing.
She said: “When I was on Strictly, I got a lot of hate. It’s such a big show – that was the first time a lot of people had seen me. I got called ‘hippo’ and things like that.
“I’m quite thick-skinned. But when they send stuff about your child it’s a completely different ballgame.”
She told the tabloid that the trolling had become so bad that she had ceased reading reviews of the TV programmes she takes part in.
“If I get nice tweets, that’s really lovely,” she said. “But I don’t search because you’ll always find nasty stuff.”
However, Healey said she can and does seek support from her Hollyoaks liaison officer, whom she can speak to whenever she needs.
“And as a cast, we support each other. We are really close,” Healey added.
Coco features heavily on her mother’s Instagram account.
“I’m not sure where I would be without you Coco… Thankyou for giving me a reason,” Healey wrote in a recent post.
“My Lifer. The only person who will Never be able to get rid of me,” another caption said, below a picture of the pair sporting matching tutus.
