Chase Stokes is back on social media and is not apologizing for it.
After taking a brief break from posting last month, Stokes, 29, hopped back on Instagram last weekend, posting a long message for his fans and followers.
“Look, I’ve had some time to think about things and I’ve come to a realization that the Internet can be a s***** place, it can. But it also can be an awesome place and I’m very fortunate to have a platform of a lot of incredible people who have decided to follow along on my journey,” he said in a video on his Story.
“You know what? I’m not gonna let the s***** stuff be definitive of taking away those who decided to follow along and brought some joy in my life.”
Stokes stated that he was “not going to stop sharing the cool things that are happening in my life” or “interacting with people who actually care” just because of trolls. “If you want to sit there and say very derogatory things, or you want to bash me or my family or whatever the case may be, go for it,” he continued. “Or you could just unfollow me which is totally fine as well, really don’t give a s*** … So, here we go, back at it.”
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It all began when the actor received a negative response to a selfie he shared with his sister Rylie Walker in April. “Luv u @ryliewalk,” he captioned an Instagram Story at the time.
And while the picture seemed sweet, not all of Stokes’ fans were pleased to see it. “The fact that I can’t post a picture with my baby sister without death threats is just f****** absurd,” the actor wrote in a subsequent Instagram Story. “Get a grip. Family always comes first and at the end of the day if you don’t know my sister and have the audacity to send me horrific messages then just go ahead and click that unfollow.”
After telling his followers that he “puts [his] family first” no matter what, the actor hinted he was logging off. “See you when I see you,” he ended.
However, he didn’t stay off for long. “I know I said I was going to take a break, but you know what, not going to do that,” Stokes explained upon his return.
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“I’m not going to let s–tty people win — and that’s sort of a life lesson, you know? Don’t let negativity be definitive of how you live your life.”
Stokes, who’s currently filming season 3 of Outer Banks, went on to thank his fans for their support. “To all of you who have invested into my journey and invested into Outer Banks, all the fun things that are coming in the future, I’m very appreciative of you,” he added.
“I love you guys, you guys have changed my [life and] our lives in ways we can never repay you for.”
“It would be a complete disservice for you guys to not share this stuff, whether it’s me being a complete dumb*** or me being kinda not being a dumb*** or any of the cool stuff that’s coming up in the future,” he concluded. “I’m excited to share it with you guys and I’m excited to continue this journey.”
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