It turned into a hate cult, completely unhinged. Those people were spamming hate comments under anything the cast would post online, or even Tolkien fans who were positive about the show. The actress you mentioned, Sophia Nomvete, did get the worst of it and I felt bad about it. Not only because the hate was so vicious and uncalled for, but also because she ended up being one of the best things about the show, the heart of it to be precise. I truly hope a good portion of those people have moved on to other things, this sort of "fandom" is entirely unhealthy and a terrible consequence of online anonymity.