Jessica Chastain opens up about being ‘attacked’ on social media

Actor says the experience turned into a moment of empathy

Jessica Chastain has opened up about being “attacked” by someone on social media.

The actor shared her experience during a red carpet interview a the premiere of The Eyes of Tammy Faye in New York City on Tuesday (14 September).

“Social media can be a negative place,” she says in a video clip shared on Twitter by the account @FilmUpdates.

“There was one moment where I was getting attacked by someone who was being quite mean to me.”

Chastain explained she wondered where the comments were coming from, “clicked on the platform” and “started to get to know the person”.

“I saw some sadness and some difficult things they were going through in their life, and I thought, ‘This is where it comes from,’” she added.

“I hope you watch a film like [The Eyes of Tammy Faye] and understand that you can reach across and try to heal someone. I hope anyone who feels unloved and unseen and unworthy will see the film and hope they are absolutely deserving of God’s grace.”

Chastain portrays the titular televangelist in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Andrew Garfield stars as Faye’s former husband Jim Bakker.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye will be released on 17 September in the US, with a UK release date yet to be announced.