Actress Sally Phillips has spoken out about the significant emotional toll of online abuse directed at her son, Olly, following the 2016 BBC documentary "A World Without Down's Syndrome?". Phillips, who shares Olly, now 21, with her ex-husband Andrew Bermejo, stated that the documentary, intended to offer an educational insight into their family life and the realities of raising a child with Down syndrome, unfortunately led to "horrible things" being said about her son.
Phillips described her son as being bullied online, noting that individuals with Down syndrome can be more sensitive to negative experiences. "I feel like people with Down's Syndrome are more sensitive. They are more sensitive to grief, but will feel great joy, and so if you could make a social media environment that is safe for people with Down's syndrome, we'd all benefit," she told The Sunday Times. She expressed that the experience of making the documentary "really cost me" and she is uncertain about creating a follow-up, though she remains committed to creating content that includes characters with Down syndrome.
Trampoline Park Incident
In addition to the past online harassment, Phillips recounted an incident in 2024 where Olly was denied access to a trampoline park in London. Oxygen Acton reportedly refused Olly entry, stating that individuals with Down syndrome require a doctor's note. Phillips expressed her distress, explaining that Olly, who has participated in activities with the British Gymnastics association and undergone assessments for neck instability, was prevented from joining his younger brother and a friend.
"Olly is used to being able to do what his contemporaries (do) ... so we went with his younger brother, and younger brother's friend, and we've been hundreds of times before, and the lady on the desk says, 'oh, sorry, can I have a word?' and called the manager over... I was so, so upset for Olly to be prevented," Phillips said.
She criticized the policy as discriminatory, suggesting it targets individuals with visible disabilities while exempting those with invisible ones. Phillips, a patron of the Down's Syndrome Association, highlighted the administrative burden placed on parents of children with special needs to secure doctor's letters for commonplace activities. "So, either you're using NHS resources to get an appointment with the doctor for a private company and their insurance, or you're needing to pay for a doctor's letter, which means that this sort of admin burden on special needs parents, just to be part of the community ... to do a normal thing, to take normal risks that everyone is allowed to take is just unbearable," she stated.
Phillips emphasized the psychological impact on children who are "singled out for being different" and prevented from participating in activities alongside their peers. She noted that many other parents had shared similar experiences.
Company Response
A spokesperson for Oxygen Activeplay issued an apology, stating they were "deeply sorry that Sally's son, Olly, was not able to participate and was left disappointed." The company cited adherence to the Safe Participation Guidance from British Gymnastics, which includes specific pre-participation requirements. The spokesperson added, "We would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the relevant parties to review the current guidance and enable as much active play as we can, safely."