The Office’s Cathy actress Lindsey Broad reveals shocking way she still faces fan abuse

It’s natural to feel connected to fictional characters that you love, but sometimes people can go overboard. When fans don’t understand the reality that characters are brought to life by an actor doing their job, many can quickly cross the line from admiration to disrespect. A prime example of this is the treatment of Lindsey Broad, who played Cathy Simms on The Office.

Fans of The Office will recall that Cathy was Pam’s temporary replacement while she was on maternity leave in season 8. After she tried to flirt with and seduce Jim, Cathy quickly became a hated character among viewers.

Even though she only appeared in season 8, people really let their hatred fester for Cathy. And Lindsey Broad still faces very intense fan abuse from those who are still holding a grudge.

According to Vulture, Lindsey Broad posted a photo to Instagram of a dog she says violently killed her dog, Louise, in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn last year. The details of the attack are brutal, and any pet owner would be devastated if the same thing happened to them.

Instead of sympathy, however, Broad received an onslaught of hateful comments from The Office fans who still associate her with a role she played years ago. Broad tweeted of the situation:

“If anyone is wondering what it was like to be on The Office, the best comedy of this century: I just posted something on Instagram about how my dog was murdered and a bunch of people were like ‘F**k you, Cathy, she deserved it!’ So. There ya go!”

Seriously, people? The Office went off the air in 2013, for crying out loud! And even if it was still on right now, making comments like that to Broad are extremely uncalled for and cruel.

As much as everyone loves the employees at Dunder Mifflin, they aren’t real people. However, they are portrayed by real actors, with real lives and feelings. Cathy was not an actual person; she was just a plot device the writers used to create tension between Jim and Pam.

If you really love The Office, then you’ll respect the artists who dedicated their time to the beloved series. Seriously, leave Lindsey Broad alone!