Kinanti Pinta Karana
Indonesian actress Luna Maya closed her Twitter account after launching a tirade against infotainment reporters. (Photo: SP File)
Indonesian Celebrity Luna Maya Shuts Twitter Account After Infotainment Prostitute Slur
An Indonesian celebrity has been threatened with legal action by a journalist’s association and has closed her Twitter account following backlash against a heated message where she labeled infotainment television program crews as being “lower than prostitutes.”
Luna Maya, a television presenter, model and actress, apologized to her Twitter followers before closing her account, under the username lunmay, permanently after the outburst.
In a message posted on Tuesday night, she wrote: “Infotainment are LOWER than PROSTITUTES, MURDERERS!!!!! May your soul burn in hell!!!”
“I’m sorry everyone for the unimportant tweet. I thank those of you who understand (my reasons) and for those who don’t, I apologize,” Luna wrote on her Twitter account on Wednesday.
Luna was believed to have written the harsh Twitter message after being mobbed by crew members of infotainment television shows after she attended the premiere of the film “Sang Perimpi” (“The Dreamer”) at EX Plaza in Central Jakarta on Tuesday night.
Luna, who is in a relationship with singer songwriter Ariel from the band Peterpan, was watching the film with Ariel’s daughter from a previous marriage, Alleia, and his father.
When Luna left the movie theater carrying Alleia, who had fallen asleep during the film, the actress alleged that one of the infotainment crew members bumped Alleia’s head with their camera in the jostle for photographs and interviews. Luna had allegedly already asked the infotainment reporters to wait in the lobby at EX Plaza where she would give an interview.
After the incident, Luna vented her anger on her Twitter account at midnight.
Her comments sparked backlash from her followers.
“Your language is getting more and more trashy, stupid, uneducated and shallow,” replied @bambangelf.
Luna then entered a verbal sparring match with some of her agrieved followers.
“@bambangelf, why do you care about my language!!!? You don’t even know me. Why do you care??” she wrote.
The Indonesian Journalists’ Association (PWI) said they were planning legal action over Luna’s Twitter message.
“This is in the domain of PWI’s infotainment section. We are gathering evidence to prove whether it (Luna Maya’s tweet) is true. If we find a law violation, we will put the case into the hands of the law,” Hans Miller Banurea, the head of infotainment department of the PWI, told Kompas.com.
Hans said Luna’s comment could hurt many people.
“It is her right to vent her emotions but we regret her choice of words to express it. If we read Luna’s statement, it is possible many people will get hurt. For example, the prostitutes could rally against her,” he said.
“She has to be careful in choosing her words, she’s a public fugure. That kind of language shouldn’t have come from a person as beautiful as Luna. There is a saying, “your mouth is your tiger,” he said.
Luna closed her account on Wednesday morning. She had been tweeting since July 18 this year and had 123,952 followers.
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welliam
5:14 PM December 17, 2009@arok:
couldn't agree less with you!