On May 17, 2025, Bella Ramsey, the 21-year-old star of HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2, expressed outrage on X after encountering a meme mocking their character Ellie Williams’ line, “I’m gonna be a dad,” from a scene in episode 4. The meme, which went viral across platforms like Reddit and 9GAG, labeled the moment as “the most ridiculous scene in movie history,” poking fun at Ramsey’s delivery and Ellie’s lighthearted reaction to Dina’s pregnancy. The backlash, amplified by ongoing criticism of Ramsey’s appearance and casting, has sparked a heated debate, with Ramsey calling out the meme’s creators for trivializing a pivotal moment in the show.
The Last of Us Season 2, which premiered on April 13, 2025, adapts the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II, following Ellie’s journey through a post-apocalyptic world. In episode 4, directed by Mark Mylod, Ellie learns that Dina, played by Isabela Merced, is pregnant. Unlike the game, where Ellie reacts with anger and fear, the show has Ellie respond with a playful, “I’m gonna be a dad,” a line Ramsey delivers with a mix of tenderness and humor. While ScreenRant praised the scene for aligning with the show’s lighter take on Ellie, some fans on X and Reddit slammed it as tonally jarring, with one user, @kh7190, writing, “The vibe is all wrong.” The meme, featuring Ramsey’s face photoshopped onto a cartoon dad with a caption mocking the line, fueled further ridicule.
Ramsey’s response on X was fiery: “Making a meme out of a scene that means so much to Ellie’s story is cheap. You don’t get it, and that’s fine, but stop dragging me for doing my job.” The post, which garnered over 50,000 likes, highlighted Ramsey’s frustration with the persistent online hate they’ve faced since their 2021 casting as Ellie. As noted on Know Your Meme, Ramsey’s appearance has been a target of cruel edits, with images from a Season 2 trailer—particularly one of Ramsey pointing a gun—sparking insults and comparisons to everything from a potato to a beluga whale. These attacks, often rooted in misogyny and transphobia, have been condemned by supporters, with X user @MrDumbBitch stating, “People are mad because they don’t wanna sexualize a traumatized teen.”
The “dad” line controversy stems from the show’s divergence from the game’s darker tone. In the game, Ellie’s reaction to Dina’s pregnancy is fraught with tension, reflecting her revenge-driven mindset. The show’s writers, including Craig Mazin, opted for a more comedic approach, which Ramsey defended in a Variety interview, saying, “Ellie’s humor is part of her coping mechanism. It’s not ridiculous—it’s human.” Despite this, detractors on Reddit’s r/TheLastOfUs2 argued the line undermines Ellie’s complexity, with some blaming Ramsey’s performance rather than the writing. Others, however, see the meme as an extension of the toxic backlash Ramsey has endured, with BuzzFeed noting the hate often ignores their two Children’s BAFTA awards and critical acclaim.
Ramsey’s fury also reflects their broader struggle with fame. In a Vogue interview, they described their autism diagnosis as “freeing,” helping them navigate intense public scrutiny. Their non-binary identity and use of they/them pronouns have further fueled online vitriol, with some Mumsnet users dismissing them as “annoying” for the “dad” line and their gender expression. Yet, Ramsey’s supporters, including co-star Pedro Pascal, have rallied behind them. Pascal told Hollywood Reporter that Ramsey’s emotional depth as Ellie “transcends acting,” a sentiment echoed by director Mylod, who was moved to tears by their performance in episode 2.
The meme’s impact has reignited discussions about fan entitlement and the treatment of young actors. X posts under #StandWithBella trend alongside calls for respect, with fans citing Ramsey’s resilience—from their Game of Thrones role as Lyanna Mormont at age 11 to leading a $100 million HBO series. The controversy also highlights the challenges of adapting beloved games, where deviations, like the “dad” line, spark polarized reactions. As The Last of Us heads toward its Season 2 finale, Ramsey’s nomination for Best Actress at the 2025 Astra Television Awards underscores their talent, even as memes attempt to overshadow it. For Ramsey, the fight is personal, but their focus remains on Ellie’s story, not the noise.
