Shameik Moore’s success has become a bit of a double-edged sword. Back in 2018, he was on top of the world. After starring in the film Dope, which put him on the map, he scored a massive hit as the voice of Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He had everything going for him, but since then, it seems like he’s become the butt of internet jokes. The latest? The fact that he’s the only Spider-Man actor who hasn’t dated a co-star.
If you’re thinking that’s a pretty odd thing to focus on, well, so does actress Laura Harrier, who found herself unintentionally caught up in this mess.
It all started during the press tour for Spider-Verse with co-star Hailee Steinfeld. Moore couldn’t stop complimenting Steinfeld’s looks, which, in the world of Hollywood, isn’t unusual. Actors often praise each other, especially in public settings. However, Moore’s constant remarks about her beauty started to make fans uncomfortable. Some even compiled a montage of interviews showing Moore seemingly flirting with Steinfeld, who wasn’t responding in the way he hoped. It began to look like Moore wasn’t picking up on the signals, which only made things more awkward.
Then things took a strange turn when Steinfeld announced her engagement to Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. The internet, of course, jumped at the opportunity to poke fun at Moore. It didn’t help that, around the same time, Moore posted a cryptic message on social media saying, “There’s still more people to meet.” Whether this was about Steinfeld or not remains unclear, but it definitely sparked more attention and jokes from fans, making Moore seem uncomfortable and defensive.
Enter Laura Harrier. Moore posted a video of himself with Harrier, accompanied by one of his songs and a “coming soon” caption. Now, for those who aren’t fully up-to-date on the Spider-Man universe, Harrier played Liz Allan in the Spider-Man films with Tom Holland. Fans started making jokes, thinking Moore was hinting at a romance with Harrier. The problem? Harrier was already engaged, and the video was actually taken a year earlier. Harrier, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, privately messaged Moore to ask him to take the video down, as it was giving the wrong impression. But Moore ignored her, leading Harrier to call him out publicly on TikTok, labeling him a “f***ing weirdo.”
Moore eventually apologized and removed the post, but by then, the damage was done. The internet had already crowned him as the “loser of the year.” This whole debacle could have been avoided if Moore had just respected Steinfeld’s boundaries and taken the hint early on.
In situations like this, it often comes down to a person’s insecurities. It seems like Moore, in his desire to prove his worth and gain validation, may have been trying to chase after women who weren’t interested, possibly believing their attention would boost his fame. The truth is, if he took a step back and reflected on himself, he might realize that he doesn’t need to rely on external validation to feel good about who he is.
We’re not here to analyze Moore’s personal life too deeply, but if you find yourself constantly pursuing someone who clearly isn’t interested just for the clout, it might be time for some self-reflection. As for Moore’s future in the Spider-Verse films, it remains to be seen whether his recent antics will affect his role as Miles Morales or simply his reputation.