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Laurence Fox in heated clash with co-star Rebecca Front over 'All Lives Matter' comments

Actors starred together in ITV’s acclaimed detective drama ‘Lewis’

Annabel Nugent
Thursday 10 September 2020 09:42 EDT
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Laurence Fox has been blocked on Twitter by former co-star Rebecca Front after posting about “All Lives Matter”.

The Lewis star shared screenshots of a heated text exchange between the two, in which Fox confronted Front after she blocked him on Twitter over his comments about the Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter movements.

In the post’s caption, Fox called it “the most painful cancellation I have had yet” from “someone I thought was a friend”.

In the screenshot of messages, Fox asks Front: “Why would you block me? Have I said anything that could upset you? What a shame.”

The actor added with a sad face emoji, “Anyway, you are never blocked from me.”

Front reveals that she chose to block her former co-star because of his posts on Twitter supporting #AllLivesMatter.

Front replied, “Oh lol, I think it was the #alllivesmatter stuff that finally tipped me over the edge. It seems to me so glaringly obvious that All Lives Matter – you’d have to be a psychopath to disagree – that it should be equally obvious it doesn’t need a slogan.”

The Thick of It star went on to list some of the discrimination that black people face, telling Fox that their lives are “systematically undervalued”, “their work opportunities are far worse” and that “the criminal justice system works against them”.

She added, “I think the least we can do is let them have a f***ing slogan.”

“There are many, many things we clearly disagree on and, fond as I am of you, looking at your Twitter feed I just felt uncomfortable about the company you’re keeping,” said Front.

Fox replied, “It’s ok to disagree. But it’s the right thing to do to talk first before you cancel me. Especially given how racist the phrase you just wrote is. I thought we had more in common.”

The phrase in question is Front’s claim that “the least we can do is let them have a f***ing slogan”.

Fans of the pair have been divided on the issue, with many voicing their support of Front. One user wrote, “Well, my main takeaway is that Rebecca Front seems like a really lovely person.” While another said, “Somebody not like your s*** tweets is not you being ‘cancelled’ snowflake.”

A third commented, “Looks like she made the right decision since you then shared the private DMs in public.”

Others, however, have echoed Fox’s criticism of Front. One user said, “I love Rebecca Front but her naivety on the #BlackLivesMatter issue is clear. Merely mouthing the acceptable banal platitudes without any thought.”

Fox and Front starred together for 11 years in ITV’s critically acclaimed detective drama Lewis.

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