Quitting Twitter For My Mental Health: Jack Monroe Leaves Social Media Platform Following Online Abuse

Food Poverty campaigner Jack Monroe has left the social media platform after posting a statement about the mental health impact of abuse received online.

Jack Munroe first came into the public spotllght in 2012 as a single Mum, who was struggling financially. Jack wrote about recipes made with ingredients affordable to those on a tight budget and this work led to further initiatives with the Trussell Trust, Oxfam, Food Chain and many others. In a twitter statement yesterday Jack noted: “The very heart of my work is in alleviating food poverty, teaching people to cook, living wages, cheap recipes and surviving in austerity.”

The statement went on to address when Jack came out as gay, despite being warned not to, and then as non-binary (genderfluid/queer). What resulted for Jack was the loss of a book deal and “a whole world of abuse from across the feminist spectrum.”

“I have spent the last two years attempting to gently (and sometimes, less gently) defend women's’ rights AND trans rights (caveat - trans women are women, this is not an either /or situation), to educate, inform, support, explain but at great personal and emotional cost. I get things wrong. I do my best. I can only speak for myself.”

Most of the people who genuinely need my work don’t have the luxury of concerning themselves with my tits or my chromosomes - they need fed and housed and hope and wages…”

Returning to the subject of food poverty and campaigning, the statement continues, “I feel the core of my work has been buried under the endless and exhausting bollocks of flamethrowing on social media. Most of the people who genuinely need my work don’t have the luxury of concerning themselves with my tits or my chromosomes - they need fed and housed and hope and wages…”

Jack ended the statement by reiterating the reasons to leave Twitter, “I’m coming off Twitter for the good of my mental health. I have been in enough abusive relationships to recognise gaslighting, coercion and bullying and my personal relationships are suffering as a result of what I experience on here every day... I’m getting back to the kitchen. I will continue to fight for women’s rights, and for trans rights and for human rights, but this is not the place to do it.”

A large number of people reached out to Jack offering their support.

Writer, presenter and comedian Sue Perkins wrote “A bientot, warrior. See you in the real world.”

A bientot, warrior. See you in the real world xxx

— Sue Perkins (@sueperkins) March 1, 2018

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbot, who has also received extensive online abuse commented “It can be horrible out there on twitter for women in the public space.”

It can be horrible out there on twitter for women in the public space. But you have to do what’s right for you. All my love.

— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) March 1, 2018

Jack’s last post on Twitter read “So as I go - if I am to leave any kind of legacy, it is that for all you who lurk and think nice things, SAY them. Favourite more. Heart people.”

So as I go - if I am to leave any kind of legacy, it is that for all you who lurk and think nice things, SAY them. Favourite more. Heart people. Tell them they're funny, clever, made you think. Post more dog pics. Love one another. And stay kind and good and true. With love. x

— the account formerly known as jack monroe |🍴📚 (@BootstrapCook) 1 March 2018

Jack noted that despite quitting Twitter, the Cooking on a Bootstrap website, Instagram account and Facebook accounts would remain in place.