Heartstopper’s Joe Locke Reveals Fans Called His Grandmother: ‘People Need to Learn Their Boundaries’

Joe Locke would like his fans to be mindful of his friends and family’s right to privacy.

With his rise to fame on Netflix’s hit series, Heartstopper, the 19-year-old actor revealed he sometimes feels a “weird guilt” when his loved ones are made to pay the price for his celebrity status.

“It’s a weird guilt I sometimes feel that, by association, their lives are affected by choices in my life,” he admitted to Teen Vogue for their August cover. 

Joe Locke in ‘Heartstopper’.

Samuel Dore/Netflix

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Locke revealed that his mother was forced to create new accounts on social media after fans attempted to message her and learn her location. Even his grandmother fell victim to his fame when a stranger discovered her phone number and called her. 

“It’s a mutual thing,” he said. “I need to learn my boundaries and people need to learn their boundaries. Most attention comes from a really good place, and I hope I always appreciate that.”

This isn’t the first time Locke has called out devoted fans for going too far. 

Joe Locke and Kit Connor in ‘Heartstopper’.

Teddy Cavendish/Netflix

‘Heartstopper’ ‘s Joe Locke Says He’s ‘So Proud’ of Kit Connor After He Felt Forced to Come Out as Bisexual

Back in November 2022, the actor publicly supported his Heartstopper costar and onscreen love interest, Kit Connor, after he revealed that he felt he was pressured to come out as bisexual on social media. 

Connor first disclosed his sexual identity after fans claimed he was “queerbaiting” by playing a bisexual teen on his Netflix show, as well as frequently attending Pride events. To that, the actor wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “I’m bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.”

“You owe nothing to anyone. I’m so proud of you my friend,” Locke tweeted at the time.

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To Teen Vogue, the actor shared that he hugged Connor onset later that day. 

“We were all very proud of him, and we’re proud of him controlling the narrative,” he continued. “I’m very proud of him for doing his own thing and what was right for him.” 

Locke added, “There’s an idea that it’s part of the job to lose your privacy, that you lose your right to having privacy. That’s something I hope the next generation of people in the public eye can change…. I think people are understanding that privacy is a nonnegotiable.”

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Heartstopper season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education