Kit Connor's TV Mom Olivia Colman Speaks Up for Him

On the hit Netflix series "Heartstopper," Olivia Colman plays the mother of star Kit Connor's character. The esteemed actor brought some mama bear energy on behalf of her TV son after Connor was harassed online over questions of his sexuality, according to Variety.

"I am so proud of him, but I am not proud of how people bullied him," Colman said from the Dec. 1 premiere for her new movie, Sam Mendes' "Empire of Light."

Connor, 18, faced intense pressure and speculation from fans over his real-life sexuality. His character in the series, Nick, is a popular athlete who slowly comes to the determination that he is bisexual after he falls in love with openly gay classmate Charlie. Connor said in an interview last June that he was unwilling to put a label on himself but the pressure on him, including accusations of queerbaiting, continued.

Connor quit social media in September, but posted one more tweet on Oct. 31 in which he declared, "back for a minute. i'm bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself."

"I think people should be allowed to have their own journey," Colman told Variety. "But I'm incredibly proud of him as a young man to deal with all of that and be in the spotlight. It's unfair," she continued. "But he's amazing. He's a very beautiful human being."

Colman speaking out on behalf of Connor is part of a larger outpouring of support for the young actor. Out stars like Chris Colfer and Lee Pace have also spoken up, relating their own experiences to what Connor has endured.

"Heartstopper" has been renewed for at least two more seasons and is currently in production on Season 2, so there's every chance Colman will be sharing the screen with Connor once again.