Pharma exec Martin Shkreli suspended from Twitter for harassing female journalist

By Staff The Associated Press

Posted January 9, 2017 6:01 pm EST

1 min read

This article is more than 7 years old and some information may not be up to date.

This digitally edited image depicting Martin Shkreli embracing Lauren Duca was first uploaded by Shkreli as his Twitter display photo, before being widely shared by Duca. Credit: Lauren Duca / Twitter

Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli has been suspended from Twitter for harassing a journalist.

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Lauren Duca is a freelance reporter for Teen Vogue who wrote a piece critical of President-elect Donald Trump.

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After she defended the story in a testy interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Shkreli invited Duca to accompany him to Trump’s inauguration. Duca responded by posting Shkreli’s offer on Twitter and saying, “I would rather eat my own organs.”

Shkreli later changed his Twitter profile picture to a digitally edited image in which he appeared to be embracing Duca on a couch. Duca tweeted pictures of the change to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Twitter says in a statement that the platform’s rules “prohibit targeted harassment, and we will take action on accounts violating those policies.”