Beloved Star Trek actor stands up against internet troll disrespecting Holly Hunter

Kate Mulgrew isn't putting up with any trash talk about Holly Hunter.
Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake in season 1, episode 5, of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+
Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake in season 1, episode 5, of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+

Unfortunately, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and the show's star, Holly Hunter, are the latest targets of online criticism. Some people who post rude and even hateful comments usually believe others will side with them, but recently, one of these trolls messed around and found himself under the verbal bootheel of Kate Mulgrew, Captain Janeway herself!

Someone left a comment in a Facebook thread (per TrekMovie.com) under an announcement regarding Starfleet Academy's upcoming episode, which read, "Is Captain Janeway going to time travel so she can b****slap Captain Mumbles when she spots her reclining in the captain's chair like she's getting ready to watch the hallmark channel instead of commanding a starship!"

This person likely thought these words were the peak of modern humor, but they caught the eye of none other than Mulgrew, who played Kathryn Janeway in both Star Trek: Voyager and Prodigy. In a verified reply, Mulgrew wrote, “On the contrary, sending you and every other disrespectful troglodyte who insults my fellow Captain & Starfleet officer to the brig where you belong. Keep Janeway’s good name out of it. Dismissed.” Captain Janeway, Lura Thok would adore you!

The kind of ignorance it takes to mock Hunter's hearing impairment and the way it affects her speech is enough to make any true Star Trek fan bristle! Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (IDIC) is more than a Vulcan creed: it's the understanding that working together to solve problems and celebrating differences has been the heart of all the franchise's series. That being said, I'm delighted that Mulgrew stepped in with all the confidence of her character to square up and slap down that ignorant troll.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is now streaming on Paramount+. And for more Star Trek content, visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.

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