Stephanie Tyler Jones, the model whose likeness was used for Mary Jane Watson in Insomniac's Spider-Man games, has shared a message on Instagram revealing recent issues she's had with fans.
Explaining that "some followers crossed boundaries," she revealed one even left her multiple voicemails "wanting to speak with me and requesting I call back" at her workplace. Understandably comparing the experience to stalking, Jones went on to request that Spider-Man fans respect her boundaries moving forward.
"I appreciate the love for my role in the Spider-Man games and the positive response to my version of MJ has gotten over the years," she wrote. "However, I am no longer an actively auditioning actor or model."
"My skincare page is not for Spider-Man or MJ fans. Bottom line is that I came into work this morning and immediately felt unsafe and uncomfortable hearing those voicemails."
"Please respect that I am a human being trying to make a living just like you, and I kindly ask for boundaries to not be crossed," Jones concluded. "Messages will not be answered, I will block you if you make me feel uncomfortable and you can unfollow me if this disappoints you."
James Stevenson, community director at Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games, also chimed in on social media to add, "I shouldn't have to say this, but don't harass game developers, voice actors, mo-cap performers, or face models (or anyone else). Don't message them directly, and especially don't track down phone numbers or personal information in an attempt to contact them."
Unfortunately, Mary Jane has become one of the Spider-Man franchise's biggest targets for fan frustration. Part of that is down to those divisive side missions in the first instalment, though there have inevitably been those who took issue with the character's appearance (and the fact she's not a supermodel).
You can read Jones' full statement below along with Stevenson's response:
Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, return for an exciting new adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise for PS5. Swing, jump and utilize the new Web Wings to travel across Marvel’s New York, quickly switching between Peter Parker and Miles Morales to experience different stories and epic new powers, as the iconic villain Venom threatens to destroy their lives, their city and the ones they love.
Spider-Man 2 is now available to purchase worldwide.