The 8-year-old child actor, Ava Martinez, known online as “Mini AOC,” who gained popularity for her impersonations of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, has ceased creating new content due to death threats and harassment directed at her and her family.
Earlier this year, “Mini AOC” delighted many with her satirical videos poking fun at the socialist congresswoman, amassing millions of views across various social media platforms, as reported by FOX News. However, this comedic venture came to an abrupt end. The Martinez family announced that Ava would no longer impersonate Ocasio-Cortez because of the severity of the death threats they received. Furthermore, all previously posted parody videos have been removed from the internet.
Ava will not being doing any more MINI AOC content. The Left’s Harassment and death threats have gone too far for our family. We have been getting calls on our personal phone numbers. For our safety and for our child’s safety, we deleted all Mini AOC accounts. — SickenTirade (@sickentirade) July 3, 2019
“The Left’s Harassment and death threats have gone too far for our family. We have been getting calls on our personal phone numbers,” tweeted Martinez’s stepfather, Salvatore Schachter. “For our safety and for our child’s safety, we deleted all Mini AOC accounts.”
Schachter told Fox News that while the feedback for “Mini AOC” was overwhelmingly positive initially, the negativity “became too much” after she reenacted photographs the congresswoman had taken at the southern border last year. He added that the comments became “increasingly personal, dark, and dangerous.”
Social media users posted in support of Mini AOC:
Every time I plan a visit to the park it’s closed! 🙄 Can everyone see how sad this makes me?! ☹️ #sad #MALA #MINIAOC pic.twitter.com/PkuoNWHhym — Rafael Matos (@RafaelMatos316) July 1, 2019
“She’s disappointed at not doing Mini AOC going forward but we explained that this is for the best and she’s okay with it,” Schachter said.
Ava’s family conveyed a message to those on the left who engaged in the harassment of her and her family. “The world has seen Ava’s beauty, talent, and charm, which was the whole reason for Mini AOC to begin with and no amount of hate or anger will change that,” Schachter told Fox News. “Also, like Ava says, ‘try using your words.’”