Former England footballer Eni Aluko says she is scared to leave the house after receiving abuse online as a result of social media insults made by Joey Barton.
Aluko, 36, and her fellow ITV pundit Lucy Ward were compared to serial killers Fred and Rose West, as well as dictators Joseph Stalin and Pol Pot, by Barton after the Crystal Palace-Everton clash in the FA Cup earlier this month.
Barton’s comments have been labelled “dangerous” by sports minister Stuart Andrew following his outbursts about female football commentators and pundits.
Former Lioness Aluko said in a 15-minute video posted on Instagram: “I've been scared this week.
"Over the past week, I have taken advice from lawyers and a course of action has now been decided on."
Aluko also warned of the dangers of online abuse and raised concerns that it could lead to a female broadcaster taking their own life.
She continued: "I've genuinely been scared this week. I didn't leave my house until Friday and I'm now abroad.
"Online abuse has a direct impact on your safety and how you feel and how safe you feel in real life.
"I've felt under threat this week. I've felt like something is going to happen to me.
“And I don't say that for anyone to feel sorry for me - I say that for people to understand the reality and the impact that hate speech has, the impact that racism has, the impact that sexism has, the impact that misogyny has on all of us females in the game, in sports broadcasting."
Aluko, who did not mention Barton by name, accused the former footballer of being sexist, racist and misogynistic and of having a "violent history".
"If you come out and are racist, or sexist or misogynistic and threaten people online, there are laws for that, that govern that behaviour," she said.
Aluko also mentioned the late TV presenter Caroline Flack, who took her own life in February 2020.
She said: "They're creating a culture where people don't want to go to work, people don't want to leave their house, people feel under threat. Obviously, there's a big impact on mental health as well.
"My fear, actually, is that the next time this happens, if we don't really put a stop to this, is that that girl or that woman kills herself.
"I'm not being hyperbolic about that when I say that it's happened. Caroline Flack, God rest her soul, killed herself, largely because of the online abuse that she was getting."
