Martin Shkreli suspended from Twitter for trolling female journalist

“BIG Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli has been booted from Twitter over his disturbing behaviour towards a female journalist. Now she’s receiving death threats.

Martin Shkreli has had his Twitter account suspended after he trolled a female journalist.

REMEMBER Martin Shkreli, the “Big Pharma Bro” described as the most hated man in the world?

He’s now trolling random women on social media for some reason.

The ex-Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO was booted from Twitter for repeatedly harassing Lauren Duca, an award-winning journalist working for Teen Vogue.

In December last year, Duca wrote a widely-read opinion piece entitled ‘Donald Trump is gaslighting America’.

Martin Shkreli has had his account suspended for trolling journalist Lauren Duca.

Last week, Mr Shkreli started targeting her with jokes about his apparent affection for her.

According to Duca’s tweets, he private-messaged her requesting she accompany him to Mr Trump’s inauguration.

I would rather eat my own organs pic.twitter.com/IgeCRZqk8w

— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 5, 2017

But his actions became creepier.

Mr Shkreli allegedly changed his Twitter cover photo to a collage of various photos of her, with the text underneath reading: “For better or worse, Til Death do us Part, I love you with every single beat of my heart”.

How is this allowed @jack pic.twitter.com/Wof8MlYHTL

— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 8, 2017

In his official profile description, according to her screenshots, he included the phrase “also I have a small crush on @Laurenduca (hope she doesn’t find out)”, and Photoshopped their faces onto a couple with her sitting on top of him.

Duca said she has never personally met Mr Shkreli, but that he was harassing her repeatedly prior to changing these photos.

“He has been harassing me for a while. It’s an ongoing thing,” she told Buzzfeed. “He’s been actively tweeting about dating me.

“I don’t know if he’s encouraging people to do this, but there’s been a small contingent of trolls telling me to sleep with him — but not that politely.”

On Twitter, Duca also drew attention to a fake account that had been created in her name, with a bio that read: “I’m a f*cking c*nt who stalks men and gets them banned when they troll me back.” It’s unknown who created this account, which has since been removed.

While she’s received plenty of support, Duca is now being subject to abuse via her email account, with anonymous users threatening to both hack her account and kill her.

At least he's putting his education to use? pic.twitter.com/8T208anpnJ

— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 8, 2017

TheNew York Daily News attempted to contact Mr Shkreli following the suspension of his account.

He broadcast the call live on Perescope while abusing the journalist, saying: “I’ll come out there and beat the sh*t out of you if you f*cking keep harassing me.”

He refused to comment on his online punishment, but continued to harass Duca via Periscope, saying she can “get it from behind always” and “will come around eventually”.

In a statement to the NYDN, Duca commended Twitter for swiftly removing his account, but said it was a shame people don’t have the same reaction when this happens in everyday life.

“It’s unfortunate that the only reason people are paying attention is because he’s relatively high-profile,” she said.

“Trolling seems to be an automatic occupational hazard for female writers who receive any level of professional attention.”

Mr Shkreli’s account remains suspended.

Shkreli’s Twitter account remains suspended.

Mr Shkreli shot to infamy in August last year — and was labelled a “morally bankrupt sociopath” and “the most hated man in America” — after his company Turing Pharmaceuticals jacked up the price of Daraprim, a drug that costs about $1 to make, to $1050 a pill.

Compounding the apparent greediness — and the global outrage it caused — was Mr Shkreli’s obliviousness, at one point even “giving the finger” to his critics.

For comparison’s sake, in most countries, including Australia, the medicine is sold for $1 or $2 per tablet.

In response to the global backlash, the company lowered the cost by 50 per cent for hospitals.

Daraprim is listed on the World Health Organisation’s list of essential medicines.