A photo of "Walking Dead" actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan wearing a Blue Lives Matter tee-shirt has triggered angry outcries from some fans — and a defense by the star that labeled critics as "a–holes."
In the photo, Morgan, who plays villain Negan on the popular zombie thriller, poses with a fan while wearing a shirt supporting Blue Lives Matter.
The Blue Lives Matter movement started after the 2014 killings of two Brooklyn police officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu — but has rankled some who feel it tries to detract from the Black Lives Matter movement, The Daily Beast noted, which posted Morgan's response on Instagram — that has now been deleted.
"Dear a–holes," he wrote, per The Daily Beast. "Blue lives do matter. Can't believe I need to explain to you this fact. All lives matter. All of em. This shirt was made in response to the cold blooded murder of two GOOD cops in NY, both that had immigrated to the US, and took an oath to protect and serve.
"This shirt was given to me at a convention by a woman, [whose] son, was shot during what was a routine traffic stop. He was black. I'm so tired of mean people. People who wake up in the morning, and I think, just sit behind the safety of their computers . . . anonymously . . . and start sh–. Grow the f– up. The world has enough horrible things going on right now without your petty bullsh–.
"Speaking of cops . . . I'd like to commend those in blue that saved countless lives in Vegas. Those first responders saved hundreds . . . if not thousands. So you trolls . . . go crawl under the rock in which you came. GOOD PEOPLE MATTER. You? Don't."
Morgan followed up with another post, the BBC reported — which has also since been deleted.
"I stand behind the sentiment . . . but, what was meant as one thing has been taken as another," he wrote, the BBC reported. "I understand those that are upset . . . and to those people I apologize. Of course black lives matter. I stand behind that. Always have. This country means the world to me. The good people in it mean the world to me . . . the ones looking for a fight around every corner? Racists? Bullies? They don't. We are a country divided, and it's getting scarier every day."
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