This Stranger Things star has warned people not to watch 13 Reasons Why

The show has been hit with a whole lot of controversy

13 reasons why

by Polly Foreman |
Published on

13 Reasons Why seems to be all everyone's talking about right now, but the reactions haven't always been positive.

The latest bit of drama the show's been hit by comes in the form of a Stranger Things actor warning people against watching the show.

barb stranger things

Shannon Purser, who plays Barb in the show, took to Twitter to advise those with "suicidal thoughts", or are struggling with self-harm or have experienced sexual assault to not watch the show.

barb stranger things

She wrote: "I would advise against watching 13 Reasons Why if you currently struggle with suicidal thoughts or self harm/have undergone sexual assault.

"There are some very graphic scenes in there that could easily trigger painful memories and feelings. Please protect yourselves.

"There are lots of really good things about the show and I have no doubts that it is important and could be helpful to some. Just be careful."

This comes after the show was condemned by a mental health organisation for being "dangerous".

The organisation, Headspace, believes that some of the shocking graphic imagery the show uses is "risky" and possibly "distressing".

"There is a responsibility for broadcasters to know what they are showing and the impact that certain content can have on an audience – and on a young audience in particular," Headspace boss Dr. Steven Leicester said.

And Kristen Douglas, national manager of Headspace school support, added that "harmful suicide exposure" leads to "increased risk and possible suicide contagion".

She continued to Huffington Post Australia: "It's not like car crashes or cancer. Irresponsible reporting of suicide can lead to further death.

"We need to talk more about youth suicide, but there's a way of doing that and a way we can raise those concerns and have a range of awareness.

"But we need to steer clear of really dangerous things like method, or oversimplifying it to one thing like bullying."

Brian Yorkey, the show's creator, has previously defended the suicide scene (in which Hannah slits her wrists in a bathtub).

"We worked very hard not to be gratuitous," he said, "but we did want it to be painful to watch, because we wanted it to be very clear that there is nothing, in any way, worthwhile about suicide."

The show also came under fire from The X Factor's Lucy Spraggan, who criticised its portrayal of mental health. See more here.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us