Valorie Curry addressed a fan who made her feel uneasy with his remarks and actions during a recent Comic Con event.
Curry’s character, Firecracker, quickly gained popularity in her first appearance during the fourth season of the satirical superhero TV show, The Boys.
The character is notably over-the-top, despicable, and involved in some provocative scenes. Despite this, fans appreciated all elements of the character, along with Curry’s portrayal of the far right-wing superhero.
However, it’s important to note that Firecracker is just a character and does not represent Curry herself—a distinction some fans failed to observe while she was at Comic Con in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Taking to Instagram over the weekend, Curry shared a video with her followers detailing how a fan interaction at the convention left her feeling uncomfortable.
In the video, Curry praised the majority of fans who behaved appropriately and didn’t cross any boundaries.
She said: “By and large everyone was fantastic. I’ve only just started doing these conventions on my own and everyone for the most part has been lovely, so kind and so respectful, it’s been wonderful.
“But we do need to talk about boundaries and what is appropriate in terms of behavior.”
While Curry did not go into specifics about what the fan and his friend did, she made it clear that their actions were not acceptable.
She said: “I know people saw a character that I played do some really extreme things on The Boys and I don’t care if you’re in costume, I don’t care if you’re in character – it’s not OK and it’s not funny to demand those things from me in person at my booth. It’s not OK.
“Frankly, to the person who did that repeatedly today, I made it pretty clear that it wasn’t OK and that only seemed to make this person and their friend angry.
“I didn’t think this needed to be explained but I was deeply uncomfortable – it was quite clear I was uncomfortable.”
Curry expressed her desire to continue attending such events but noted that inappropriate behavior could prevent her from doing so as it makes her feel ‘uncomfortable’.
She concluded by thanking fans who behave appropriately and issued a final warning to those contemplating any inappropriate actions at future events.
She added: “If you’re thinking about it, if you think it’s going to be funny, if you think you’re doing a bit or a moment, honestly it’s not and it’s only going to make me feel bad.”
In a statement to BBC News Northern Ireland, Monopoly Events reiterated that actors and guests at their events are present as themselves, not as their on-screen characters.
“They are not in character or portraying the roles you see on the screen,” they explained. “Please treat all of the guests and each other with respect, and be aware that it isn’t acceptable to make inappropriate comments regardless of being in cosplay and ‘portraying’ a character yourself.
“Making a guest, or other person, feel uncomfortable for you and your friends’ amusement is unacceptable.
“We have a zero tolerance policy to this behavior and if any guest or member of the public feels harassed, please highlight any concerns you have to a member of our security team.”