'I was genuinely surprised by how much it affected me': Today show reporter Lara Vella reveals the vile abuse she received from online trolls including rape and death threats
Today show reporter Lara Vella has spoken out about the vile threats she has received from online trolls while just trying to do her job.
In a column for Nine Honey on Monday, the 37-year-old revealed the comments included threats to sexually assault and shoot her.
Lara says one person said she 'deserves a bullet' while another wrote, 'I hope you get belted and raped'.
Unfair comments: On Monday, Today show reporter Lara Vella (pictured) revealed the vile abuse she received from online trolls including rape and death threats
The reporter wrote: 'When hundreds of anonymous people swarmed every single one of my social media accounts with some of the most vicious and vile abuse I've ever seen, I was genuinely surprised by how much it affected me.'
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The TV personality says the threats and comments began after she questioned Queensland Senator Fraser Anning about attending a far-right rally.
Lara went on to say that she felt the trolls would not make these comments to her face, and suggested that their identities be more attainable.
Horrific: In a column for Nine Honey, the 37-year-old revealed the comments included threats to sexually assault and shoot her. Lara says one person said she 'deserves a bullet' while another wrote, 'I hope you get belted and raped'
The reporter wrote: 'When hundreds of anonymous people swarmed every single one of my social media accounts with some of the most vicious and vile abuse I've ever seen, I was genuinely surprised by how much it affected me.' Pictured with Today co-star Ben Fordham
'Perhaps more transparency with a user's identity will make some people think twice,' she wrote.
Not all of Lara's reporting gigs are quite so serious in nature, with the blonde having an amusing on-air mishap in January when she swallowed a fly on live television.
The roving reporter was in Winton, in central west Queensland, joining children as they took a dip at a swimming pool to beat the morning heat.
Speaking up: Lara went on to say that she felt the trolls would not make these comments to her face, and suggested that their identities be more transparent
But as she was chatting with hosts Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight back in the studio in Melbourne, she suddenly found herself choking on a flying insect.
'Oh my God, I think I just swallowed one of those...' Lara said, choking and spluttering as she trailed off.
She was so overcome by the bug in her throat that she was forced to head back to the studio, where the two co-hosts were more than sympathetic.
Lara looked to have recovered later on the show, as she presented another segment with local schoolchildren while wearing an akubra.
Gross: Not all of Lara's reporting gigs are quite so serious in nature, with the blonde having an amusing on-air mishap in January when she swallowed a fly on live television (pictured)
