Leslie Jones Defends Her 'Ghostbusters' Character After Racial Controversy Arises Over New Trailer

'ITS NOT A MAN, WOMAN, RACE, CLASS THANG!! ITS A GHOSTBUSTER THANG!!'

Leslie Jones ain't afraid of no ghosts. And she isn't afraid to call someone out on Twitter either.

The Saturday Night Live star took to Twitter to defend her role in the Ghostbusters reboot after fans accused the film of perpetuating racial stereotypes.

Following the trailer's release on Thursday, online commentators were quick to note that the three white actresses play scientists -- Melissa McCarthy's character is a paranormal researcher, Kristen Wiig plays a particle physicist and Kate McKinnon plays a nuclear engineer -- while Jones appears to play an MTA employee.


WATCH: 'Ghostbusters' Trailer Features Badass Ladies, Hunky Chris Hemsworth, and...a Slimer Cameo!

Now, Jones is firing back. "Why can't a regular person be a Ghostbuster? I'm confused," she tweeted. "And why can't I be the one who plays them? I am a performer. Just go see the movie!"

"Regular People save the world everyday so if I'm the sterotype!! Then so be it!!" the comedian added. "We walk among Heroes and take them for granted."

Jones then responded to individual complaints, telling one Twitter user, "If they made me a scientist, you would be mad at what type of scientist. Seriously it's a f**king movie. Get over yourself."

She does want to make one thing very clear, though: Patty is no one's sidekick. "The trailer [shows] three different types of women getting together," Jones clapped back at one concerned fan. "How the f**k you see [side]kick?"


MORE: 'Ghostbusters' Director Reveals Scoop on Casting His Crew, Cameos and What Got Him Choked Up

"ITS NOT A MAN, WOMAN, RACE, CLASS THANG!! ITS A GHOSTBUSTER THANG!!" Jones concluded. "AND AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED WE ALL GHOSTBUSTERS!! STAND TALL!!"

Meanwhile, co-writer Katie Dippold spoke about the Patty character during a Q&A on Wednesday, explaining that it was important to include the "everyman, like in the original," referring to Harold Ramis' Ernie Hudson character from the 1984 film.

"We talked to so many physicists who tried to download us on science and I would just listen to people talk and just be like, 'What? What are you saying to me?'" she said. "And so, like in the original, for me, it's so fun to see that person that I relate to listening to these three nerdy scientists."

Now, find out how else the Ghostbusters reboot trailer pays homage to the original:

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