Ashley Johnson has heaps of support from her co-stars and friends among The Last of Us cast and crew.
She’ll likely need it, in the coming weeks and months, as the fan-favorite star makes her way through the process of bringing legal action against her ex-boyfriend. Johnson, who played Ellie Williams across each of the Last of Us video games, and brought the same character’s mother, Ana, to life in live-action, recently revealed the stressful and dangerous situation she’s been enduring for several years now. The official filing of a restraining order against her ex, which went through this month, brought Johnson’s struggles to light, and quickly prompted an outpouring of support.
Content Warning: This article contains a conversation regarding domestic violence; please take care while reading.
One of the first people to throw their open support behind the actress was Craig Mazin, co-creator and director of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation. Mazin lauded Johnson in a recent post to Instagram, where he praised her as a “wonderful and brilliant person in every way,” and emphasized that “her TLOU family loves her from now until the end of time.”
The sweet message was quickly met with an outpouring of additional support from fans, some of whom littered Mazin’s comment section with questions and exclamations of concern. Thankfully, Johnson appears to be safe — something we hope takes the pressure off after a lengthy two-year battle to separate herself from her ex, who she’s described as “close to the edge,” “unhinged,” and capable of causing harm to not only Johnson, but also her family.
Mazin’s support comes at just the right time, as Johnson works to adjust in the wake of her lengthy ordeal. Thankfully, it seems she’s largely emerged from the situation unscathed, but there’s no speaking to the mental state she’s been living in for several years now.
Thankfully, Johnson was granted her requested restraining order, which legally requires her ex to remain a minimum of 500 yards from her home, and 100 yards from her dogs, at all times. A formal hearing is set to take place in June, and until then, fans are ardently hoping that the restraining order will be enough to keep the beloved actress safe.