Magda Szubanski: COVID conspiracy theorists target TV star with ‘abhorrent' comments after cancer diagnosis
On Thursday, the Australian TV comedy legend revealed she had been diagnosed with stage four mantle cell lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer.
It didn't take long for the conspiracy theorists to come out of the woodwork.
Amid the avalanche of well wishes from celebrity friends and ordinary Australians, within hours they were trying to link her diagnosis to the COVID vaccine.
Szubanski has been a long been a target of anti-vaxxers after she was vocal about her support for the vaccine and the strict measures put in place during the COVID pandemic.
One rabidly anti-vax account on X suggested on Thursday she had been diagnosed with 'turbo cancer', linking it to the vaccine, with a follower suggesting she should 'apologise for pushing the vax on others'.
Another wrote, 'She was asking for fifth booster in 2022 wonder where she's at now?'
But Szubanski's supporters have come out firing, denouncing the ugly posts.
'Anti-Vaxxers don't want to be treated with contempt by society, then behave abhorrently online.
'Magda Szubanski reveals blood cancer, then you post your cooker rubbish all over news article. Think of her and her family and friends. You not cookers, you are just scum.'
Another wrote: 'Cookers attacking Magda for getting cancer. Just the absolute dross of humanity.'
During the height of the pandemic, Szubanski was a vocal advocate for the COVID lockdown and the vaccine.
In 2020, Szubanski was the victim of a hate campaign after appearing in a Victorian Government TV ad as her Kath & Kim character, netball loving Sharon Strzelecki, urging people to abide by the strict rules introduced to keep people safe from the potentially deadly virus.
'I tell you what I am so over this lockdown,' she said.
'Playing netball against yourself is not all it's cracked up to be, especially when you still can't even win.
'But you know what, it's not the lockdown that's the enemy, it's the virus and the sooner we obey the rules the sooner this will all be over and we can get back to the stuff that really matters ... netty.'
Szubanski hit out at haters on Twitter following the release of the video.
'Bring it Covid Deniers – let's see what you got. Let's bring you right out into the sunshine. Let's see your real names. And your real facts,' she wrote.
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