NEW YORK (AP) - The dark side of "Star Wars" fandom has recently reared its head when Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who plays Rose in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," was run off Instagram by misogynistic and racist messages from fans who didn't like her character in the movie.

Such toxic exchanges have long been a staple of darker social-media realms, fan-group message boards and comments pages. But the abuse heaped on Tran sparked a backlash of its own.

Affectionate fan art of Tran's character began circling widely on Twitter. "The Last Jedi" writer-director Rian Johnson forcefully came to his actress' defense, calling her critics "manbabies." Mark Hamill says the critics need to get a life.