

You may be aware that "Star Trek Into Darkness" antihero Benedict Cumberbatch has a growing legion of fans. What you may not know is his devotees are distinctly fragmented between self-respecting Cumberfans and a group that has labeled themselves "Cumberb----es."

The latter group has a relatively popular Twitter account on which they have been defending their name following recent controversy.

Cumberbatch himself has recently piped up about the Cumber-"B"-word faction after having made light of their existence to other press outlets (including our own). He refuses to call them by their name and instead refers to them as the "Cumberwomen" or "Cumbergirls." "It's not even politeness," the 36-year-old actor told The Times of London. "I won't allow you to be my b----es. I think it sets feminism back so many notches. You are… Cumberpeople," he said.

[Related: 5 Super Stealthy Facts About 'Star Trek' Baddie Benedict Cumberbatch]

When Yahoo! Movies spoke to Cumberbatch just days ago, we referred to his segment of fans as "Cumber-'B'-words," explaining that we can't say their real name on our network. "It's crazy. I'm not surprised," he told us. "Actually no one should be allowed to say it on any network," he joked, adding, "It's very flattering and they're very good humored and intelligent and I'm very gracious [about it]."

We spoke with one of Benny C's biggest fans. Naomi Roper runs Cumberbatchweb in her spare time – when she's not practicing city law as a partner in a London firm. She disapproves of the "B"-word-labeled fan base and attributes the phenomenon to "a small group of very young teenage girls." Roper explained that the whole thing got misconstrued when Britain's Alan Carr show displayed their Twitter account on air. "The media loved the name and started to apply it to all of Benedict's fans," she told Yahoo! Movies.

"Cumberb-----es isn't a term Roper uses or embraces. "It's a pejorative term. I'm certainly not anyone's 'b----!'" she said. "It was therefore rather heartening to see Benedict confirming in recent interviews that he isn't a fan of the term," Roper told us.

[Related: 'Star Trek' Villain Revealed: What's His Secret and Who Almost Played Him (Spoiler!)]

Cumbertach fans are certainly a new breed. Unlike Twi-hards aka "Twilight" series fans, you will never see Cumberbatch's personal life discussed on Roper's site. She and her following take pride in admiring Cumberbatch's talent and his talent alone. "[He has] an incredible ability to disappear into the characters that he plays," Roper said of her favorite actor. "He is also intelligent, charming, funny, handsome and very good to his fans. He comes across as a perfect gentleman."



Watch 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Cast on Behind-the-Scenes Fun:



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