The Boys star Valorie Curry has opened up about an “uncomfortable” experience she had while attending Comic-Con in Belfast over the weekend.
Valorie plays Misty Tucker Gray, otherwise known as Firecracker, in the hit Amazon superhero series, which is based on the comic book of the same name.
Posting on her Instagram story on Saturday, the American performer said that while “by and large, everyone was fantastic” at the convention, she felt that “we do need to talk about boundaries and what is appropriate in terms of behaviour”.
“I know people saw a character that I played do some pretty 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,” she explained.
“And frankly, to that person that did that repeatedly today, I made it 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 that I was uncomfortable.”
Valorie added that she “really wants” to continue making appearances at fan events and conventions, but she doesn’t feel she’ll able to “if people are acting this way because it makes me so uncomfortable”.
“Honestly, you should know better,” she continued. “I don’t know what reaction you were looking for, [but] nobody was laughing.”
Valorie concluded: “If you’re thinking about it, if you think it’s going to be funny or you think it’s going to be a bit, or a moment, it’s not, and it’s honestly just going to make me feel bad. So, please think about that before coming up to talk to me. Please just think about what’s appropriate and professional and kind.”
Comic-Con Northern Ireland organisers Monopoly Events has since issued a statement to BBC News, reminding attendees to “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,” they added.
“We have a zero tolerance policy to this behaviour and if any guest or member of the public feels harassed, please highlight any concerns you have to a member of our security team.”
Valorie wrote on Instagram on Sunday: “Thank you to everyone who reached out after my post yesterday, and especially to the team at [Comic-Con Northern Ireland] for taking it so seriously. It was lovely meeting everyone today, and I can’t wait to come back for future events.”
The former star of The Following joined The Boys in its fourth season, which began airing earlier this year.
A fifth and final season has already been announced, which is expected to begin streaming in 2026.