It’s been over three years since the last instalment of the Twilight Saga premiered in theaters.  After that last movie, the four-year journey combined to bring in a whopping $3,345,177,904 worldwide. The three lead actors became some of the most famous people in the world and they made a ton of money off of each movie.

Sure, Twilight wouldn’t have been a hit without Stephenie Meyer, or the attractiveness of Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner. However, it was a young woman that stepped up and powered the multi-billion dollar franchise, starting at age 18.  A former child actor, Kristen Stewart, took on the role of Bella Swan to make Twilight one of the most successful movie series of all time.

However, with every gift comes a price.  Though the now 25-year-old actor has been named one of the most influential women in the world by Forbes and brought home millions of dollars for her work on the films (she made $41 million just for the Breaking Dawn films), every part of her life is covered by camera.  I guess it’s the price to pay when you’re famous, but every single aspect of her life is being discussed.  Who she sees, what she eats, who she’s dating.

Not to mention, everyone mocks Stewart because she never smiles in public or because she is awkward. Others like to take a stab at it and say that “K-Stew” makes millions by just standing there.

Well, I am about to put my foot down and say this: everyone needs to back off, because she does not deserve all of the hate. She is one of the best actresses to this day.

Not only does Stewart have a net worth of $70 million, she has been working since age 9, going from film set to film set. She’s the young face of Chanel, and a part-time poet, painter and hobbyist. All of this has been accomplished, and she tries to work more with enjoyable, complex indie films than the remakes and poor-quality movies that Hollywood churns out.

For those that argue that Stewart is not a good actress because of the way that she portrayed Bella Swan, think about it this way: Bella Swan is not a complex character.

In fact, there is almost no substance to her; she is awkward, quiet and unconditionally in love with a vampire.  That’s it; besides those traits, she’s quite reserved and clumsy and does not show too much emotion (instead, she “suffers in silence” and keeps most of how she feels inside).  So, if there wasn’t enough acting for a character as mopey as this one, think again.

Watch some of her other films.  Welcome to the Rileys was outstanding, and she truly put in the work and even lived in motels and worked in strip clubs to learn more about her role and add more realism and complexity to her character, a 15-year-old stripper in the heart of New Orleans.

Or how about Clouds of Sils Maria, where she played the role of a personal assistant to a popular Hollywood actress, basically mocking Hollywood and what everyone thinks of her? For that, she won a Cesar, which is France’s equilvilant of an Oscar.

Should I dare mention Sundance’s Camp X-Ray, where she plays a female Guantanamo Bay soldier who befriends a prisoner? For that film, she literally learned everything she could, got spit on and took a lot of shit (literally).

Not to mention, she is someone who is realistic and tries to be just like everyone else. So what if she’s awkward, or if she can’t get her words out? I can barely make it anywhere without tripping, and if you ask me to speak in class, my heart literally starts palpitating. Everyone has their flaws, and they’re allowed to have them. It’s not her fault that she isn’t going to be fake for some cameras.

She is hard-working and is someone who is vocal about being yourself and not listening to what others think. Modest, humble and clearly thankful for all of her opportunities, she is a wonderful person.

Regarding her recent comments about diversity and feminism at Sundance, she was not saying that those topics are “boring.” She meant that the “slactivism” (where people talk about issues but do not really act out against them) is boring and that people need to get up and do something instead of just talking about it.

Everyone needs to take a step back and recognize that Stewart is not a bored, ungrateful individual, but is instead a normal kid like everyone else who happens to have talent. She’s extremely gifted in her art of acting and is incredibly intelligent, well-spoken, humble and lovably awkward.

However, she has been underestimated, thanks to the vampire movie franchise that made her not only one of the highest-paid actresses out there, but one of the most influential and recognized public figures in the world.