Kaitlyn Dever faces real-world hate after 'The Last of Us' role

Kaitlyn Dever's powerful portrayal in The Last of Us season two has stirred intense reactions, with some fans crossing the line by genuinely hating her.

On a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, co-star Isabela Merced revealed that Dever required "extra" security due to the strong negative feelings toward her character, Abby Anderson.

"There are so many strange people in this world because there are people that genuinely hate Abby, who is not a real person,” Merced pointed out, expressing disbelief over the intensity of the backlash. "Kaitlyn had to be extra secured by security during filming because of this."

Dever's character, Abby Anderson, is a soldier who finds herself at odds with Ellie, played by Bella Ramsay, making her an antagonist in Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie's story.

Despite the character's controversial role, Merced emphasised that Dever herself is nothing like her on-screen persona.

"Kaitlyn's such a cool person who doesn't get phased by things really has her head in the right place, and is also going through a lot right now personally," she shared, alluding to the recent passing of Dever's mother after the battle with breast cancer.

Merced, who joined the cast as Dina, a love interest for Ramsay's Ellie, urged fans to remember that The Last of Us is fictional and to separate the character from the actress.