The production team behind Amazon Prime Video’s “Off Campus” is accusing fans of the YA romance series of “targeted harassment” against the cast and their loved ones.
“The off-campus community is built on a shared love of storytelling and respect for the real people who bring stories to life,” the show’s account posted on social media. “We ask that everyone here respect the lives of our cast and its people. Accounts that engage in targeted harassment will be removed from following our accounts.”
The statement comes after Off Campus star Mika Abdallah, who stars in Season 2, announced her split from fiancé Jake Short. A clip of the two on a podcast resurfaced and went viral online. In it, Short Joke describes Abdallah as a “shithole”. The former couple issued a joint statement to Us Weekly, clarifying that the footage does not represent their five-year relationship.
“People make harmful and inaccurate assumptions about our power dynamics,” the couple wrote. “We have had a loving and respectful relationship for five years, and it hurts to see our playful moments analyzed in a way that does not reflect the respect and love we had and still have for each other.”
This isn’t the first time a TV show has had to speak out about some fans crossing the line. In May, Amazon asked fans of A Beautiful Summer to respect the privacy of the cast and crew while the film was being filmed, posting: “We love the excitement, but sharing locations or visiting the set disrupts filming and poses major safety concerns for the cast and crew.” A year earlier, the streamer had asked fans to remain calm after reports of toxic behavior towards cast members. The official TikTok account for “The Summer I Became Pretty” wrote in the caption accompanying the video graphic, “The show isn’t real, but the people playing the characters are,” and “The Summer I started acting normal online.”
And ahead of the premiere of Love Island season 8, the reality show’s social channels reminded fans to “please be kind.” “Villa operates in a positive atmosphere and so does this community,” the statement said. “We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and discussions, but everyone has the right to feel safe and respected.”
