BEVERLY HILLS, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Evan Rachel Wood attends the BBC America BAFTA Los Angeles TV Tea Party 2017 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 16, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
The star of HBO's Westworld came out as a survivor of sexual assault last year. And in a video she recently posted online, she addressed all the reasons survivors often take a long time to come forward. She also spoke candidly about sexism in Hollywood, and the world, calling on others in her industry to take action.
Wood's character in Westworld suffers sexual assault, something that she's come out publicly as having suffered in real life as well.
"I imagined a story where I didn't have to be the damsel." #DayoftheGirl #Westworld @evanrachelwood https://t.co/ANu8ma1Jh8— Westworld Gifs (@Westworld Gifs)1507719674.0
It was almost a full year ago that she shared this letter.
In it, she clarifies what she spoke about in the Rolling Stone interview, admitting that she was raped twice by two different men. She also talks about the way victims are often treated by society: being asked to "just get over it" or sometimes not even being believed at all.The recent allegations against Harvey Weinstein have brought the issue of sexual assault, and how it's reported and dealt with in Hollywood, to the forefront again.
In Wood's video, she details how difficult it can be for survivors to even admit what happened to them. And goes into why she still has yet to publicly name her assailants, though she admits telling everyone she knows personally about who it was.She notes that many of the men she knows about, including her own abusers, are very powerful.
She talks about seeing them win awards, and calls on the industry to do more to not celebrate - or work with - men who are known to abuse or harass women in the industry. Wood admits in the video that the power and influence these men command is part of why she hasn't named names herself: "My perpetrators were very powerful, very rich, very entitled, very narcissistic white men." After all, lawyering up for a lawsuit isn't free, or easy, even for a working actress, thanks to fears of being alienated and cut off from work.Wood's hesitance is not at all unusual.
Countless other women have made the same decision as Wood to stay silent https://t.co/RXCX7QGNZz— The Cut (@The Cut)1507844245.0
She received support from other celebrities.
@evanrachelwood much respect. Thank you for speaking your truth.— ADAM LAMBERT (@ADAM LAMBERT)1507828334.0
People were quick to correct those who thought Wood was responsible for things her accusers did.
@justinjl @logic_avenger @evanrachelwood Dude! You can't blame a victim. STOP IT! She is not the problem! If you li… https://t.co/5rlmh3OfK1— MarÃlia Queerly Perfect (@MarÃlia Queerly Perfect)1507907490.0
Even other victims spoke up in her defense.
She noted that many women who do come forward face even more scorn than the men they accuse, which, in turn, can re-traumatize a victim who is already dealing with the horrible thing they suffered.Luckily, the responses to her video are proving that plenty of good people are still on Twitter.
@evanrachelwood I stand with Evan Rachel Wood— Anne Bettina Pedersen (@Anne Bettina Pedersen)1507909101.0
She calls on men to educate themselves.
Evan Rachel Wood's video on why it's not easy to name sexual abusers is what every person arguing "why now?" should watch— Independent George (@Independent George)1507889781.0
The video is just one of many responses to the Weinstein allegations that are inspiring people.
These women inspire me with their words and actions: @MizTeeFranklin @SaraRamirez @evanrachelwood @ArlanWasHere @ava @BlackGirlNerds— Dana Piccoli (@Dana Piccoli)1507902949.0