But in numerous instances, the HBO execs did just that, trolling the television critics with snarky responses from a fake Twitter account — and dropping pro-HBO comments on trade publication stories.

When approached for comment about the lawsuit and the messages, Temori’s attorney, Michael Martinez, tells Rolling Stone that the texts serve as an example of the “very petty” company culture that eventually turned on his client.

That day, a newly created account under the name of Kelly Shepherd, a self-described Texas mom and herbalist, replied to Sepinwall’s tweet about his review, repeating the sentiment McCaffrey expressed.

The rom-com thriller — produced by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Vicky Jones, and starring Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson — had just finished its first season and received positive reviews from critics.

In the ever increasingly anonymized digital age, it’s a growing suspicion that PR firms and even individual directors have used troll and bot accounts and other methods to combat lackluster reviews, turn the tide of conversation, drum up support for a social media campaign, or in this instance, be petty.

The fake accounts are indicative of a larger culture within HBO, Temori’s attorney Martinez adds: “Our allegations are that these individuals said things to him and treated him in such a disparate manner that they were harassing and discriminatory.

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