A second woman has come forward to accuse Ed Westwick of raping her in 2014

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As I wrote yesterday, I thought it was more than possible that additional accusers would come forward about Ed Westwick. An actress named Kristina Cohen posted her story on Facebook earlier this week, accusing Westwick of raping her in his home three years ago. The LAPD have apparently opened up an investigation into the claim, and while Westwick explicitly denied it, we’ve seen just in the past two months that when there is one accuser/victim, there are many more. A second woman has now come forward, and she also posted her story on Facebook (you can read the full post here):

A former actress has come forward accusing Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick of raping her in 2014. The allegation comes just days after actress Kristina Cohen claimed Westwick raped her in February 2014. Westwick denied Cohen’s claims on Tuesday, writing on Twitter, “I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape.”

Aurélie Wynn, whose stage name was Aurelie Marie Cao before she gave up acting, wrote on Facebook today that Westwick raped her in July 2014.

“I said no and he pushed me face down and was powerless under his weight,” she wrote in a post shared on Facebook Wednesday. “I was wearing a one piece bathing suit that he ripped, I was in complete shock,” Wynn wrote of the alleged incident at Westwick’s rental home.

Wynn also said she told her then-boyfriend Glee star Mark Salling – who recently plead guilty to child pornography possession – about the alleged incident. However, he blamed her and broke up with her, the actress said in her post. A rep for Salling did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

In addition, Wynn says that when she told her friends, they advised her to not tell anyone as she would be labeled “that girl” or seen as someone “trying to get my 10 seconds of fame.”

Wynn’s account is very similar to Cohen’s and involves allegedly being raped by Westwick after falling asleep in a spare bedroom following a party. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating Cohen’s claims after she filed a police report Tuesday morning.

Said Wynn said in her post: “I am so incredibly thankful all of this is finally coming to light and that there is justice in the world. I believe you Kristina Cohen and thank you for speaking up so eloquently and really encompassing what young female actresses have to go through at the hands of men like Ed Westwick. Without you I would not have had the strength to speak up publicly about my ordeal. #metoo”

When contacted tonight for comment, Westwick’s rep’s office at Affirmative Entertainment hung up the phone when told it was a Deadline reporter. Subsequent calls went directly to voicemail. Wynn did not respond to a request for comment.

[From Deadline & People]

Well… if we’ve learned anything, there’s strength in numbers and a victim is more likely to be believed if there are other victims with similar stories. I believe you, Aurélie Wynn. I believe Ed Westwick raped you. I believe Mark Salling is exactly the kind of psycho who would break up with a girlfriend after she was raped. I believe all of this needs to be investigated thoroughly and charges need to be brought against Westwick.

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205 Responses to “A second woman has come forward to accuse Ed Westwick of raping her in 2014”

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  1. littlemissnaughty says:

    Of course. Of course there’s another woman. Is anyone surprised? There always is. I’m wondering how many it’ll take in Westwick’s case until we can retire the “innocent until proven guilty” discussion.

    • CGF says:

      Or at least the “liar until proven otherwise” regarding the victims.

      • Raina says:

        I can’t look at his face.

      • CommentingBunny says:

        CGF – Thank you. Yes that’s exactly it. “Innocent until proven guilty” is a legal construct that guarantees certain procedural rights at trial. It doesn’t govern a person’s common sense response to hearing a victim talk about a crime.

      • cindy says:

        I can’t look at his face either. The arrogant smirks and dead eyes.

      • Lensblury says:

        @Raina: +1. I feel like I’m gonna throw up any second. Been feeling that way for a while now. I am getting sick from all these stories, but I still read them because all of this needs to be heard, read, known. Thanks, CB writers and also fellow commenters, for paying so much attention even though it makes all of us sick. Whenever I read a strong comment from any of you who don’t hold back their frustration and rage anymore, I feel at least a little empowered by proxy. Sorry if that sounds selfish, but I’m really agitated, heartbroken and thin-skinned at the moment, and exhausted… and every strong-worded comment feels like balm for the soul right now.
        Btw, the Charlie Sheen allegations over at dlisted… not surprised, but vomit. Fuck all of this.

      • Bettyrose says:

        The arrogant smirk and dead eyes were his trademark in gossip girl, weren’t they? His character attempts to rape 14 year old Jenny as his introduction to the show. He morphs into a misunderstood bad boy during the series, and we’re supposed to forget that he’s a serial rapist of freshman girls, but let’s face it some casting agent saw that side of him.

      • Close to a nervous breakdown, says:

        First she is a liar. Then they are 2 liars. Then they are 5 attention seeking women. Then they are 20 alleged victims. How many women need to be assalted, raped, abused to be taken seriously in this world? It sickens me.

      • Lensblury says:

        @Close to a nervous breakdown: co-sign, and +1 regarding your name.

      • K says:

        CGF, that’s it, exactly. And so neatly and succinctly put. Thank you.

    • happyoften says:

      Hopefully, but we’ll see. Mostly I expect alot of people feeling more comfortable believing the original accuser, because women apparently need to report rape like they go to the bathroom. In groups.

      It was incredibly brave for both women to come forward to tell their stories. I believe them.

    • Sixer says:

      Sometimes, Mr Sixer has moments of clarity, bless him. We were talking about all this post-Weinstein disaster over dinner, and that these are the types of crime that don’t work in our rule of law, evidence, beyond reasonable doubt systems. And of course, they’re all crimes where the victims are women or children. “Oh,” he said, “the courts were set up by men, for men, weren’t they?”

      And of course, they were. Our legal systems evolved when women were property and these crimes weren’t crimes. Nobody ever envisaged a legal system that would have to be set up to deal with them. We have no real way of just resolution for them and won’t have until we build a system for them brick by brick, from the ground up.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        Word. In Germany, rape inside of marriage didn’t exist until 1997. 1997! And it was a 25-year fight. Who fought it? Women. Female politicians. The most disgusting argument against it during those 25 years? Once abortion after rape was decriminalized, it was argued that women would use that “loophole” to get an abortion and cry rape.

        Abortion is still illegal here, btw. Decriminalized in the first 12 weeks but still technically illegal. It’s ridiculous. I’m THIS close to telling every single man in my life “If you’re not 100% on our side, you’re against us.”

      • lightpurple says:

        @littlemissnaughty, It didn’t become marital rape here in the US until 1993, also a 20+ year battle through the court systems in various states so you weren’t far behind us on that one.

      • ell says:

        @QueenB the thread yesterday was so upsetting (but i’m so thankful for you and all of those people who were being outspoken about how wrong and upsetting those comments were), but i hope some of those were misguided stans and will have changed their minds now.

      • Sixer says:

        I was not around yesterday but I just had a quick flick through after Littlemiss’s comment below. Um… oh dear. Look, false accusations exist. We just had a woman sent to prison for that very thing here in the UK. But they are rarer than hen’s teeth. Our default should be to believe the woman. I don’t understand how anybody could think different.

        Legal rape in marriage lasted until the 1980s here. We’re still unable to bring regular prosecutions for FGM. Abortion on pure choice is still technically illegal (a doctor has to sign a form saying it would be deleterious to a woman’s mental or physical health).

        We have a long way to go. And it will be hard path because ALL our evolved institutions, including the principles of the courts, are patriarchal.

      • frisbee says:

        The other issue is, and I am going to bring this back up again, we haven’t even got the language to discuss it. While these crimes are reported in passive voice “ a woman was raped” a “ child was abused” without reference to the perpetrator as in “a man raped a woman”, “a man abused a child” we are ignoring the active part of the story, the perpetrator and without including that involvement, loud and clear, the whole issue remains foggy and out of focus. We need to shift focus firmly on the accused and of course we don’t because of the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ stance. It’s really frustrating to the point of enraging when it’s such an obvious issue.
        Edit: we could use the word ‘allegedly’ where appropriate, it would still be stronger than passive voice.

      • Otaku fairy says:

        Where are all these “Innocent until proven guilty! People DO lie!!!” folks on the Marian thread? We all know what would happen if anyone tried any version of that with her case. Male privilege at work.

    • Al says:

      We should never “retire” the innocent until proven guilty discussion. I hope that your father, brother, son, or friend is never wrongfully accused. I hope the commenters in this thread are never wrongfully accused of a crime. I am not saying Ed Westwick is innocent or guilty. I don’t know him, the women in the story, or any other facts related to it. However, people are wrongfully accused every single day of all sorts of crimes for all sorts of reasons. It can and does ruin lives. I would bet that most people that comment on these stories would NEVER believe it if their father, son, or brother were accused. This is a horrible situation. Either these women were assaulted and Ed Westwick is criminal and a danger to society or these women are misrepresenting facts and he is innocent and his reputation is ruined. Jumping to conclusions and immediately condemning someone is dangerous.

      • Mama says:

        I would just ask you to list the men in Hollywood whose lives have been ruined by accusations? Polanski? Woody? Gibson? Men bounce back in Hollywood so I would say his reputation is not ruined. Sure, there is a Weinstein and a Spacey once in a while but if Spacey hadn’t sexual assaulted teen boys I think he would have a very easy time climbing back out of it.

        I would venture to say that a ton of women would believe it if it was someone they knew. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to believe men mistreat women when we’re all mistreated so often.

      • QueenB says:

        “I would bet that most people that comment on these stories would NEVER believe it if their father, son, or brother were accused.”
        Then you havent read the comments properly. I wasnt the only one who said I will always side with the victim. You should be way more concerned how those men hurt the women in their lives.

        Please stop spreading this nonsense. Like Sixers partner said: “innocent until proven guilty” is set up to protect predatory men. We need to get rid of it and shun everyone who brings it up, they are directly protecting rapists. They are directly saying ”
        Women are dishonest”. I want it to become the new C-Word. If you say it, prepare for severe social consequences.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        And so for 2 or 3 wrongly accused men, you’d bin hundreds of women’s lives? Because that is what you are saying.

        My brother and father could unjustly be accused of everything (murder, theft, etc), when it happens I will deal with it and decide whom to believe.

        I will never deny all those women my support because 1% of them lied. Sorry, NO.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        Just stop it. Really. I’m not having this today. This isn’t court. If your first thought is “What if my husband is falsely accused???” you need to google some statistics and examine them critically. I believe the women. You do you. But man, I wouldn’t want you as my friend by my side if this happened to me.

      • ell says:

        tbh i’d really like to know how many of those wrongly accused of rape were actually wrongly accused, as opposed to just let go for lack of evidence or whatever. it’s extremely rare to manage to get a sentence or any sort of justice for this crime.

      • happyoften says:

        A comment on a gossip blog does not equate to a man not getting a fair shake in a courtroom. Westwick’s legal rights were in no way undermined by saying I believe her. He is still walking around, free as a bird. And will most likely continue to do so. Unless a couple more women come forward making it impossible for people to ignore his raping ways.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @LittleMiss

        They would let you drown in your sorrow. Many of my friends even told me I should shut up, to my face.

        Another favourite of mine was “it happened 3 months ago, get over it”.

        @Ell

        Many relatives of rapists clearly side with them.
        However, they were never present when it happened. It is basically based on belief.

        Basing “he was wrongly accused” on what a relative/parent believes should be irrelevant for statistics.

      • Sixer says:

        In the UK, we call this attitude “not my Nigel”. But all too often it is, “yes, your Nigel”.

        What if the burden of proof for sexual offences (aka “he said, she said” crimes) were changed from the criminal “beyond all reasonable doubt” to the civil “balance of probabilities”?

        How would you feel about that, Al?

        Or what if verdicts for these crimes could be either “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt”, in which case prison sentences and all the rest of it, or “guilty on the balance of probabilities”, in which case not proof enough to remove liberty but enough to put offenders on sex registries, thus better protecting women and children and giving at least a measure of justice to the victims?

        What about that, Al?

        Because the system as it stands PROTECTS SEX OFFENDERS. Who are usually MEN.

      • Mia4s says:

        No @QueenB “innocent until proven guilty” is set up and developed because we have a very flawed legal system that has locked up more than a few innocents (disproportionately people of colour). Let me stick my lawyer hat on for a minute: Criminal Law is rooted now in Blackstone’s formulation (from 1760s) which to paraphrase is that it is better for ten guilty persons to escape than one innocent to suffer. Easy to dismiss until you start to read up on the work of the innocence project. Easy to dismiss until it’s your loved one who was seen leaving the scene. We’re sure. Totally sure. It was dark but…no we are sure.

        That said, this is a legal principle. You are welcome to condemn who you wish on a personal level (if I’d ever been a fan I’d be done with him, so I’m done before I started) but the focus should be on better training for investigators, funding for testing of rape kits, training for judges to avoid dumbass lenient sentences and laws that support heavy sentences, mandatory consent education for teen boys, and a culture that encourages women to report immediately with full emotional and physical supports. Innocent until proven guilty is a sacred legal principle (it means no jail unless proven guilty) but socially? Condemn away. Society as a whole will have to make those decisions.

      • Ankhel says:

        “Innocent until proven guilty” belongs in court. What, do you refuse to have an opinion about who emptied the fridge at work, because there’s no conviction? As for relatives, I have none of your treasured close male relatives. However, if someone told me my uncle had raped them, I’d believe them. He’s like that.

      • Shambles says:

        Yes. Okay, AL. People are wrongly accused sometimes. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO BRING IT UP. When a victim comes forward with a story of rape, it. Is. Not. The. Time. To bring up “innocent until proven guilty.” Keep it to yourself or find a legal forum to discuss it. It’s a slap in the face to victims and a derailment of the conversation at hand.

      • Megan says:

        I’ve worked with a large civil rights organization for the past 17 years and I have heard dozens of black men discuss what is is like to go to prison for crimes they did not commit because, based on the color of their skin, the police, judge, and jury all assumed they were guilty. For black men, the prosecutor doesn’t have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the men have to prove their innocence in a court that has judged them before they even walk in.

      • Tinkerbell says:

        I’m wondering how everyone thinks these crimes should be prosecuted if not innocent until proven guilty?

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @Tinkerbell

        They are actually not prosecuted at all. ‘Innocent until proven guilty has never been in discussion in a legal court for a rape case.
        I don’t know why you guys keep banging on it… patriarchy?

        As someone said above, 99,999999% of rapes are usually analysed and processed against the victim, who is a ‘liar until proven otherwise’.
        That is what we need to change. Not the ‘innocent until proven guilty’, which is fine as it is.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        Tinkerbell: Never the point. I cearly referred to people posting here. The public at large. Not court. But maybe if we all believed women more, they wouldn’t get screwed over in court so much.

      • Crowdhood says:

        THey are not wrong. Of course, we should believe women. And of course, nothing and nobody are perfect. I.e. – Duke Lacrosse. Again, I am not disbelieving these women Nor do I think false allegations are the norm, but it does happen.

      • Babooshka says:

        The people in this section who just want to abolish and do away with due process or any thought process beyond blindly believing the victim have completely forgotten the arrests and deaths that resulted when white women could simply breathe an accusation of rape against black men and ruin their lives. This happened for decades if not centuries. A mechanism like due process (​which i’m sure someone here is going to label me as misogynistic, hateful, and dumb ​for bringing up, exists to protect people wrongly accused of crimes.) the lack of it had resulted in horrifically unjust outcomes for thousands of people. it is a dangerous concept to blindly always just believe accusations but i’m sure this will turn into how i hate victims and am calling them liars.

        IM NOT SAYING that’s what happened here. I believe the victims and I believed her yesterday. But in the face of his unequivocal denial, I don’t believe it’s wrong to want to see some form of an investigation or questioning take place to ensure justice for the victim and punishment for the accused.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        Babooshka, I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this. This is not court. I wasn’t referring to due process. You know this. It came up yesterday when commenters used the term to justify holding off judgment and not immediately believing Kristina Cohen. That’s what I was referring to. In court, you need due process (although imo we need to re-examine what that actually looks like). As a private person, I do not. I choose to believe the woman. That choice will not ruin anyone’s life.

      • detritus says:

        @Babooshka, “the people in this section who just want to abolish and do away with due process or any thought process beyond blindly believing the victim”
        None of us feel that way, and its getting ridiculous to consistently see this misunderstanding of our words.

        QueenB supports dismantling a system built by men, as do I and a few others, and I’d say we’re some of the most extreme. This doesn’t mean we want to get rid of a justice system completely, it means we have issues with the current application of it.

        Please stop reducing our arguments to absurdity it does not do your point justice.

      • cindy says:

        @Al-
        you are exhausting and I think you’re a troll. No one here wants people falsely accused.You’re looking to start sh*t by going on comment boards covering rape stories to deliberately be obtuse and argumentative. We aren’t coming for you, this isn’t about you, this is about rape victims. But I think you know that. And to the commenters backing this up, why are you here? To be the heroic lone voice defending embattled men falsely accused of rape *eyeroll*? Please.

      • Al says:

        @cindy Not a troll. Not trying to be argumentative. Not trying to “start” anything. Just merely stating my opinion. I read this site just like anyone else here and very rarely comment on anything on any site. It is really scary how difficult it is for this echo chamber to read an opinion that differs from the collective scream of “I believe anyone that makes an accusation of sexual assault against someone else”. I don’t believe anyone based on a statement alone- that includes the accuser or the accused. As I said in my comment. I don’t know what happened in this situation- I just think that automatically condemning someone is dangerous. MY opinion… you don’t have to like it or agree but you should be able to handle an opinion that is different from your opinion.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        Al, then you are part of the problem. I can handle it, thanks. But man, I would not want you by my side when someone attacks me.

      • Sixer says:

        Babooshka –

        Riddle me this: if our current justice systems had been set up and evolved under a matriarchal system, do you think we would be in a place where the chances of getting convictions for intimate crimes were virtually non-existent? Because I don’t.

        Due process, for the most part, is fabulous. Restrictions on the state – habeas corpus, innocent until proven guilty, etc etc, are also fabulous for the most part. But, even if rape kits are properly tested (already happens in the UK and our rape conviction rates are as dire as anyone’s), police behave properly with victims and all the rest of it, due process will still be a patriarchal disadvantage to the victim in the case of intimate crime.

        We have to find a way to achieve justice for victims and it’s going to involve thinking outside the current box. I don’t know what the solution is, but I do know that institutions formed by patriarchy are going to have to be changed somehow to achieve it.

      • cindy says:

        You are trolling Al. Lots and lots and lots of people historically and currently rally behind and defend men who rape, particularly powerful white men. You know this. Statistics are clear on the number of women, children and even men (thinking Kevin Spacey and Brian Singer) who are sexually abused. Most offenders are not prosecuted and many or most victims of sexual abuse are not believed. Yet you come here to be the “voice of reason”. If you feel your rights are being trampled on, and fear that mens rights are being neglected , go onto a comment board that feels the same. Lots of commenters here have experienced this stuff personally and know the subject matter very well. I can come to a common sense conclusion without you explaining things to me. You’re worried about men being persecuted. I get it. I am worried about women being assaulted and abused. We just aren’t going to agree on this and that doesn’t mean I can’t “handle” myself.

      • Nat says:

        I agree and thank you for your objectivity. The case is being handled and I think we should all wait for the result of the investigation before calling anyone anything.

      • Amy says:

        “Innocent u til proven guilty” has been taken so far and has become twisted though. When a woman reports a rape, everyone she meets, the police, the prosecuting attorney, the doctor who does her rape kit, the detectives on the case, should say “I believe this happened to you. Together, we will look for the evidence to convict this monster.” None of those people she meets along the way have the ability to throw him in prison anyways. It is up to defending counsel and the judge to uphold the “innocent until proven guilty.”

        But fbecause of patriarchy and rape culture, instead of having all the police, prosecutors, doctors, teachers, friends, etc on her side helping to find the evidence, she now has a bunch of people who are all acting like it is their job to DISPROVE her. As if when a man is accused of rape, every person the victim meets with is on some personal vendetta to clear the rapists name. That is not necessary or helpful. If there is not enough evidence, the rapist will not be convicted and sent to prison. It is not to everyone along the way to try to disprove her rape. It is their job to believe her and support her and look for the evidence.

        Even if there is not enough evidence in the end to get a conviction, if each and every victim was treated well and told that they were believed, and felt like everyone they met along the way was on their side, then she would not feel so disgustingly used and abused by the system. More women would report. If more women report, there is a higher chance of serial rapists (which is most rapists) being caught.

        When someone’s home is broken into, the police do not try to disprove them. When someone’s car is stolen, the police do not try to disprove them. They believe and jump into action. You don’t hear many people saying things like “one time someone reported that their house was broken into but it really turned out to be that they forgot their key and just broke a window to get inside, so now whenever I hear someone say that their house was broken into I like to make sure everyone around me knows that they COULD be lying.”

      • Moneypenny424 says:

        I believe the victims. That is not to say I think we should chuck out the system. I have been a victim and I fully support these women coming forward with their stories and I do believe them.

        While I agree it isn’t common that men are falsely accused, historically (and yes, still today) black men in America have been falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a lot of crimes. I’m not saying that makes Cosby or that a-hole director of “Birth of a Nation” innocent, but I’m saying there are actually a lot of studies on this.

    • MeowuiRose says:

      I asked this in the KS post but this one is a little more active and I’m just curious about these investigations being opened. How does it work that investigations are being opened without police reports in this situation and the KS one (I don’t recall if there had been a police report filed in HW case when that investigation was open). Does anyone know how that works?

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        In UK in wide investigations (many people coming forward), the police can bring charges. The other British posters might have more info about why.

    • magnoliarose says:

      It was just a matter of time someone else would speak up. Something tells me there are more. Sigh.

      • Aurelia says:

        Funnny how all these women who were in ed’s house all seem to have fallen asleep when he raped them. I think it’s pretty obvious his M.O is drugging them. He doesn’t go the whole date rape GBH route but he uses everyday benzo sedating drugs. Just to get them off to sleep and let their guard down , to give him the advantage when he decides its time to pounce.

        Sounds like he has a deal with other men to bring victims to his house. They procure for him and then they vanish leaving ed to it. Notice it will only be aspiring actresses. Nobody up the food chain. Like Uncle Terry who isn’t drugging Giselle or Britney then raping them. Good heavens no. Just up and coming girls, WHO NOBODY WILL BELIEVE.

    • Ravensdaughter says:

      I was waiting for the other shoe to drop until I came to any conclusions, and drop it did.
      At this moment, we are in an environment that frees women (and men) to speak up at last, and it’s a wonderful thing.
      One hope I have is that #metoo not only shuts down the men who have been outed, but it also prevents other predators from acting out. That’s probably being too hopeful…

    • A.Key says:

      Well innocent until proven guilty is why Amanda Knox and O. J. Simpson walked free basically. Because there wasn’t enough conclusive evidence to convict them, aka there wasn’t enough proof that they weren’t innocent. I know most people realize Simpson was guilty but some people believe Amanda Knox was innocent. Who knows? I sure think Amanda Knox is a pretty suspicious bizarre and untrustworthy woman. But do I have proof that she brutally murdered a young girl? No. Just because I find Knox strange and unappealing as a person does that mean that she murdered someone if there is no real proof? Again who knows. But it definitely means she can’t be locked up in prison just because of what people say about her. Is that fair? Well I guess so. Does that mean many murderers, rapists and thieves walk free because there isn’t enough proof to convict them? Yes it does. The judicial system is flawed but I still think it’s better this way than to be allowed to imprison someone just because someone else says they killed/raped/stole. Unfortunately until we find a truth serum that will eliminate lying this will always be the issue, whether the perpetrator is male or female.

    • Milla says:

      And there’s a new “I don’t know this woman” post on his ig and Twitter.

      He says he’s working with the police. But he’s in the UK filming “white gold”…

  2. Stacey says:

    Another bites the dust it seems everyone is at and they have a group around them enabling them there will probably be another one tomorrow its all being aired now

  3. Squiggisbig says:

    Lemme guess…he doesn’t know this woman either?

    • Ankhel says:

      He knows all of his friends, just not their girlfriends.

    • ell says:

      he never met a woman in his life will be the next statement.

    • Wurstfingers says:

      If I were Ed I would try it with a different excuse because the last person who famously claimed that he did not have sex with “that woman” lied, so… But arseholes be arseholes, what do I know.

  4. Margo S. says:

    These two women are so brave. I’m so proud of them. This terrible excuse for a human is so done.

    • Jenny says:

      I agree. I never understood how anyone could not believe Kristina Cohen’s story when it came out because it was so detailed and lies rarely are. I hope he can now be brought to justice and prosecuted for his crimes.

  5. Nicole says:

    *throws all of Hollywood away*

    • Rose says:

      Yes, i keep thinking of that expression ‘Don’t meet your heroes’ …I’m thinking of adapting it to ‘Don’t have heroes’ or just ‘Don’t like anyone you don’t know personally’. Not that Ed was a hero of mine, i never watched Gossip Girl so hardly know who he is other than from blogs.

    • Meme says:

      Seriously, entitlement and sexism is a horrible mix. Where are the boundaries and professionalism amongst the men in this industry? Why is it so screwed up in this industry so that people just abandon their moral compasses? The porn industry sounds more regulated and safer than Hollywood!

      • Nicole says:

        Hollywood just has patriarchy that has run amok. It’s the same as the rest of the world just a million times worse

    • magnoliarose says:

      Academia, law enforcement, the military, politics and religious organizations are just as bad. Since the people aren’t famous it is hardly covered.

      • I Choose Me says:

        Exactly. This happens in every institution, in every facet of society. Every f-cking where.

  6. Shambles says:

    Still not here for the commenters who said we needed additional victims before we believe the first one. I still believe Kristina, without Aurélie’s story, but now I believe both women. One woman’s voice IS enough, but hopefully now people will be satisfied and lay off Kristina *shudders*. Yesterday’s thread was appalling, so here’s hoping we can learn from this. In these situations, women deserve the benefit of the doubt. Not the men. I will not be the person who thinks of the poor men and their poor reputations when unpunished rape is EONS more likely than a false accusation. Sorry, NOT sorry. As for Ed Westwick, it’s becoming clear that he is a monster. May he rot in prison.

    • Alleycat says:

      Yes, is this enough for all of those commentators yesterday? Do you believe her now that there is a second victim? Or do you still not believe these women because Ed is cute and white and “denied” the story, and there are totally women who lie about rape, don’t you know? That post yesterday was a mess and if anybody had any reservations as to why women don’t come forward after being raped, you only have to read those comments to understand.

      • Sophia's Side eye says:

        That’s what I said yesterday. I never want to hear, “why didn’t they come forward?” Ever again! It was so upsetting in these comments.

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      I hated yesterday’s thread. I don’t know why it’s so hard for fellow women to acknowledge that you can believe a women without qualifying it. This isn’t court. I don’t need evidence, that’s not my job.

    • LooseSeal says:

      Yesterday’s comments section was rape culture perfectly summed up in 300 comments or less.

      • Annetommy says:

        I didn’t see anyone supporting rape culture yesterday. I didn’t see anyone saying they didn’t believe her. I saw people saying that women who allege rape should be believed in the same way as someone who alleges any other serious crime, not undermined by a system that is loaded against them. I also saw people not wanting to throw the justice system out the window. That system should be reformed so that it is far less intimidating for women to report rape, and far less distressing to give evidence about rape, with prosecutors using disgusting “character and history” innuendo against women and turning the case into a prosecution of the victim not the defendant. Victims are often treated appallingly by a system that believes “decent guys”, “family men”, bosses, famous men, handsome men, current or ex-boyfriends, relatives and others can’t possibly be rapists, and that the only “real” rape is when someone leaps out of a bush and beats the victim to a pulp. That is all horrible. That all needs to change. So please don’t suggest that people here are somehow condoning rape or the way victims are treated.

        What I didn’t see yesterday was any practical or realistic suggestions as to the way forward, by those who seemed to feel that no further investigation or action was necessary once an allegation had been made. This is a website, “I beIieve her” is fine here. End of. Case closed. That’s not appropriate in the criminal justice system. Some posters seem to be suggesting it was. But perhaps I misunderstood them, and they have a different policy in mind. I’d be interested to know what that is.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @Annetommy

        You must have not been raped or ever involved in anything with rape victims.

        ‘I believe her’ is also important at a police station, as in a court; doubting the victim from the start for fear of jailing someone innocent is what leads some western countries to have appealing rates of conviction for rapists.

        So yes, from a rape survivor: you are actually supporting rape culture if you deny the right to be believed anywhere but on a gossip website.

        Some investigators have thrown out of the window entire cases because of technicalities; one I know of was binned because the victim had indicated ‘Orange juice’ on the 1st statement and ‘apple juice’ on the 2nd one.

      • detritus says:

        I have suggested several policy changes over a number of posts, including not requiring police reports immediately, requiring the collecting officers to be trained in suicide and DV, and the refusal to allow certain lines of questioning in the courtroom. jury selection needs to change too.

        The killer part of the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ line, is that is masquerades as logic.
        The facts and statistics all point the other direction though in these types of cases, and ‘innocent until proven guilty’ becomes either an emotional knee jerk response, or an ignorant and uneducated one.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @detritus

        Police training, most importantly.
        During 3rd interrogation I had to recount all the exes of my life, in the exact order, possibly time spent with them and listed by name too.

        The investigative teams turn us like socks, before even thinking to bring charges against the rapist.

      • Sophia's Side eye says:

        I’m so sorry that you were put through that, Silver. *hugs* You deserved so much better.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Hugs Silver. 🙁 I wish I could have been there to support you.
        That is abusive behavior. I hope speaking out helps and I hope someone reading this knows that we believe them.

      • Annetommy says:

        SilverUnicorn, I’m not going to go into my personal experience. I am sorry that you have had such a terrible one.

      • Patty says:

        Here’s a thought, maybe you should recognize that people have different experiences. Some people here may have loved ones who have been falsely accused of sexual assault. Believe her may work for you but not for everyone.

        I just had a friend falsely accused of rape less than two years ago. I’m a person of color and history is filled with horrifying stories of mostly white women who have accused black men of rape.

        This is the reality of people who look like me:

        https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/03/07/politics/blacks-wrongful-convictions-study/index.html

        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottsboro_Boys

        http://www.theroot.com/white-woman-who-lied-about-being-kidnapped-raped-by-3-1797302783

        So yeah, I believed the accusations against men like Weinstein, Cosby, Spacey, etc because their reputations proceed them; but I’m not going to tar and feather every person who is accused.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      I had to stop reading the comments yesterday. It was physically hurting me.

      I am a rape survivor and the first 100 comments or so I was able to read perfectly explained why I still regret to have reported my rapist. My life went down in flames and found myself without any support; his not so much.

      • Katherine says:

        Take a hug

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        Take another one. *hugs*

      • LooseSeal says:

        Silverunicorn – I’m a rape survivor too and my life also went down in flames. His is fine. Yesterday we heard all about poor men who were falsely accused but not the women who have survived. Let’s change that today. I’m a proud survivor. I’ve stared into the screaming abyss and I survived. I almost didn’t. I almost took my own life because surviving is so forking hard it can feel almost impossible at times. But I’m still here. Still surviving. And so are you. I’m so proud of me and I’m proud of you. #metoo

      • ell says:

        @SilverUnicorn and @LooseSeal i’m also a survivor, and all the commenters saying they believe these women mean the world to me. i also felt very emotional yesterday with all those comments, but no way anyone is silencing me about this, ever. i never reported my assailant because it happened within a relationship that turned from emotionally abusive to physically abusive. i did leave, but i never felt i could speak to anyone but 2 very close people. some people have completely unrealistic views as to what happens during times like these, and also about the justice system. *hugs*

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @LooseSeal

        Your comment ❤
        I am proud of having survived too, both the rape and the 3 suicide attempts following it.
        Seeing all these people denying stuff is so upsetting. I was nearly charged (for wasting police’s time and energy) because investigators had skewed everything in favour of the rapist. Once the case got to the procurator fiscal he understood I had stumbled on a serial rapist and offered to revise everything; I said no.
        I was psychologically mauled by all the interrogations done to make me recant the statements, no way I was turning back.

        @Ell
        My rapist was one of my exes too. And considering how bad all things went after reporting it, I don’t blame you at all for not doing it.

        Hugs to both ❤

      • a reader says:

        Every survivor on this thread can have a HUGE HUG from a fellow survivor.

        I didn’t report for a multitude of reasons. I absolutely regret it in hindsight, but I didn’t have the strength when I was younger. If it happened again (heaven forbid) I would report… but I know exactly what would happen to my life if I did, and that’s why I choose to give anyone who reports sexual assault the benefit of the doubt.

      • detritus says:

        There is always a seat for you here, lovelies. I’m sorry you had to see people’s naked grossness. Its horrible to find out ‘friends’ are empathy-less twits, or commenters you respected. Its horrible to find out the person you loved, or liked, or lusted for, is a monster.

        I’m so proud to ‘know’ all of you. Everyone who shared, I saw it, even if I didn’t have a chance to comment. I see you. I believe you and you did not deserve that.

        the ladies (and gents) here, your strength and words in the face of criticism and shame show your bravery, as does sharing your story. Every step you take and word you say is a giant f*ck you to the assholes who did this to you, and a hand held out to someone who may be reading and has faced the same thing.

        I will not let my rapist define me. I will not let the men who have treated my body like their possession in the past to own my future, and I will keep trying to make sure it never happens to anyone again, and if it does, they have the support they need.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @detritus

        Your comment made me tear up. And yes it is nice that, even if it is in an anonymous form, we have each other ❤

        @a reader

        I was nearly ‘forced’ to report mine by a rape charity I had spoken to; it had come out my rapist had been hired to work with abused children and teenagers. He had found his Eldorado, the monster. He lost that job, yes. But because of no conviction, he was hired for a similar one the following year. Those poor youngsters :'(

      • magnoliarose says:

        I am proud to be associated with all of you ladies, and your strength is incredible.

        My first encounter (but not last) with rape was when I was 16 and living abroad. I became very close to a girl in the same industry. Because my parents are extremely protective and indulgent, they chose my apartment in a neighborhood that was safe and close enough to a hospital in case of an imaginary emergency. I invited my friend to live with me and my older cousin/chaperone. We were supportive of each other and had crazy adventures and silly fun. I was never lonely. She was more outgoing and familiar with Europe, and I credit her for giving me the courage to stay. She filled me in on the gossip and things and who to avoid. Even though I worked more than her she wasn’t petty and jealous we just celebrated and encouraged each other.
        Everything was great and moving along. I came home after being away for several days, and she was not the same person. It took days for her to tell me her ex-had raped her. As hard as I tried in my young mind to help she just shut down and eventually shut me out. Nothing I could do could save our friendship. Out of the blue a few weeks later she left and never came back with no warning or farewell. She wouldn’t accept my calls or emails or letters, so I gave up.
        There is no clean, happy ending to the story. Rape doesn’t work like that. Everything is effed up, and it burns through the victim’s life scorching everything in its path. Her dreams were destroyed, and her mental health deteriorated. Over the following years I heard some gossip here and there in the beginning and then she became a distant memory. I was a confused teenager unable to process what happened, and it hurt too much to try.
        Later I learned she couldn’t be around me because I reminded her of what she had lost. I inspired overwhelming emotions she could not handle. There was no cathartic moment where we reconnected stronger and closer like in the movies. I simply don’t know her anymore.
        Rape is physical, but it is so much more than the act. The crime lives on and has killed something in the victim and interrupted what life could have been and should have been. So to work up the courage out of an abyss of agony and suffering to speak out is remarkable. I don’t have the power to imprison anybody, but I do have the ability to be supportive and say I believe you without much effort.

    • a reader says:

      Thank you Shambles, for articulating precisely how I felt about the thread yesterday. It was appalling.

      Yes, as a general rule, I believe in “innocent until proven guilty”… except when it comes to these type of crimes. The system is stacked against sexual assault victims. I absolutely give the victims the benefit of the doubt in these cases. I hear them, I support them, I believe them.

    • Kcat says:

      He may be guilty. My opinion, based on two accounts, is that he is a rapist. However, I’m not a court of law, and my opinion is pretty irrelevant. Believe the victims, but support for a victim can’t equal a conviction.

      We’re facing the opposite end of the spectrum here of Trump’s world. Just like the Fox News crowd is ridiculed for believing every statement or conspiracy theory put forth by him, we need to have critical thinkers on the other side, too. Innocent until proven guilty isn’t something we can throw away. It’s the underlying basis of our system of law. And sometimes our laws suck and don’t help those who need it. But I for sure prefer our system to countries where people get dragged out of their homes in the middle of the night based on one person’s word and no evidence.

      • BB Carrots says:

        KCat thank you for articulating that. It was expressed beautifully.

      • QueenB says:

        “Innocent until proven guilty isn’t something we can throw away.”

        It need to be thrown away and it will. The anger of women wont go away until the patriarchal legal system is fundamentally changed. There can be no “innocent until proven guilty” in a feminist legal system. It advantages men and disadvantages women. It basically says “women are dishonest, hysterial and not to be believed”.

        A womans word must always be enough.

        Also thank you for coming over from reddit, both of you BB Carrots and Kcat, we really need more misogynists here.

        Also².: I reported both of you and you’ll hopefully get banned for that offensive nonsense and trolling.

      • Shambles says:

        Okay. Yes. Innocent until proven guilty is a thing. But THIS IS NOT THE TIME to bring it up. When a victim comes forward with a story of rape, and all you can say is “innocent until proven guilty”, it’s a derailment and a slap in the face. Go find a legal forum if you want to talk about innocent until proven guilty. A gossip blog is not going to decide Ed Westwick’s fate, so we have the right to talk about this the way we want to. I have no concern for his wellbeing and his reputation. How many victims will it take until you guys just STFU with the “innocent until proven guilty” talk? That was what my comment was specifically about, but you still chose to bring it up. Now. Is. Not. The. F*cking. Time.

    • ell says:

      @Shambles this. of all the things i found upsetting in yesterday’s thread (and there were many) the believing only if other women came forward, was the most obnoxious. no wonder so many are talking now that they have strength in numbers, when you’re a lonely voice you’re treated like literal trash. horrible, i can never get over it.

    • Kitten says:

      Yesterday’s thread was depressing AF.
      Seriously what the f*ck is wrong with people?

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        No idea Kitten.

        Likely many of these people will also walk away with everything they have done (proving historical rape is very difficult and in some countries it is nearly impossible), so how difficult it is to believe the victims instead of parading out ‘innocent until proven guilty’ all the time?

      • Kitten says:

        I’m sorry for you and any rape survivor who had to read that sh*t, SilverUnicorn.

        Women can be the worst–as bad as men sometimes.

      • detritus says:

        it hurts more when it comes from women. We expect they will have some empathy, because they have faced at least some of what we have.
        Nope. Sometimes personal hardship hardens you to others pain, not the opposite.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        Yes. I was going to comment, but reading through all of the comments just depressed me so much…I had to back out of those articles.

    • magnoliarose says:

      Yes to every single thing Shambles. I still can’t believe the attitudes yesterday.

  7. detritus says:

    On Aurélies Facebook post, people are already attacking her. The first comment pulls a picture from around that time and basically asks, oh you really were the most happy then, eh? Someone then comments on the photo saying Aurelie is crazy.

    This is the type of stuff that keeps victims from coming forward. The first bloody comment, was dismissing her and trying to show she is lying. Very few comments in support, more just linking out to other people. Some questioning her timeline, why she didn’t call the police, telling her she’s wearing too little and deserved it. There’s the gamut.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      @Detritus
      I am afraid Facebook is becoming rape culture central. In Facebook I argued yesterday with a woman who was still saying Spacey is being framed by all those who came forward and his life and career are unjustly in tatters.

      Heck, after I was raped I was told by friends I had known for years I shouldn’t have destroyed my ex boyfriend’s life by reporting him. Not MY life, HIS.
      They had never met him….. nevertheless they ended up defending a rapist (a serial one, at that), even if they thought he was guilty.

      Sometimes I think there’s no way to win until we change how society thinks and operates about rape, sexual abuse & assault.

      • Sixer says:

        Facebook is an anti-woman sewer. I keep my account open because that’s how my rellies organise get-togethers and the like, but I’ve stopped going there for any other reason.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @Sixer
        It’s terrible, isn’t it? Mine isn’t even open and still get crap!

      • Sixer says:

        I’ve never really done other than keep up with family on there, but the tales I hear from feminist friends – or just women, generally – about who gets sanctioned, why and when, are disgraceful.

      • detritus says:

        its disgusting. i’ve only been on twice in the last month. once to support my brave friend who told her story publicly, and once to see Aurelie’s post mostly by accident.
        It made me wish I had a dismiss button.

      • Nikki says:

        I can’t even think of a comment, I’m shaking and crying so hard after reading every previous post. But yes, we should feel SO PROUD to have survived, and so angry and disgusted by everyone who contributes to our rape culture. Now I feel grateful to all the articulate posters who “get it” without having experienced the horror.

    • lucy2 says:

      I can’t imagine the bravery it takes to put it out there publicly, especially on social media where they know they will be attacked.
      I have to think both of these women, and all of the others who have come forward, suspect they are not alone in this, and making it public can gather a predator’s victims together to fight. This woman likely would not have spoken up if the first hadn’t. And then next (you know there will be more) if these two hadn’t.
      I fully agree going to the police should be step one, for those who are able, but I think there is also a purpose behind the social media posts as well.

      ETA: Meant to reply to the post below.

    • Moon Beam says:

      That comment section is a damn mess. It’s also depressingly mostly other women.

    • Rhea says:

      I always think how predictable most people reacted in general. If there’s such thing as a “perfect victim”, there’s also such thing as a “perfect sexual predator”. When the story about Steven Seagal broke out, most people right away believe it since his appearance look like a creep in plain sight. Just like HW. Interesting though, when it’s about EW then it’s “innocent until proven guilty”.🤔🤔

  8. Brunswickstoval says:

    Maybe because i’m old and i’m not not believing them but since when is Facebook the place people go to make these accusations? Why don’t people make police reports anymore?

    • happyoften says:

      People didn’t make police reports back in the day, either. But they were polite enough to continue keeping their mouth shut about it, yeah?

      Did you read her account? She answered your question.

    • LooseSeal says:

      Can we please STOP with this? Can we please stop with questioning every little thing about the woman and nothing about the man? She was raped and told to keep it to herself. To not be THAT girl. She finally feels like she has permission to speak her truth and here comes the second wave of silencing. Since when is Facebook the place to do this?? Since Facebook became a spot where anyone who wants to use their voice can.

      • a reader says:

        So much this, LooseSeal! Nicely put!

      • Brunswickstoval says:

        Ok calm down i’m hear to listen and understand. I am a lawyer. I was a criminal lawyer 20 years ago so I do get how rape goes unreported. What I don’t understand is placing these stories in Facebook. But i’m late 40s and barely use Facebook. I do have 3 girls growing up in this world so am asking so i get it. I would walk a thousand miles before sharing something personal so it’s something new to me.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      Because a police report will be followed by statements and interrogations, some of them done with appealing methods.
      It’s hell to report a rape, often it doesn’t lead to anything; plus the destruction it brings to the victim’s life is insane. First-hand experience.

    • BB Carrots says:

      Brunswick, the police may not believe you. They’ll ask hard questions, try to trip you up, it will be a traumatic experience even dealing with the most well intentioned officers as you will need to repeatedly relive your experience. Not to mention, if you report immediately, an exam that can be described as just as humiliating, painful and dehumanizing as the rape itself, according to some.

      Facebook lets you get your story out quickly and without too much interaction. It can be much easier and also gets things made public much quicker.

      • LooseSeal says:

        Another thing people don’t understand about rape is how brains process trauma. It’s easy to rip apart a rape victims story, because your brain doesn’t store the memory in the same way. It’s not linear. It doesn’t feel concrete. Not even the victim is sure what’s real or what’s not. Often it can take quite some time and healing to even fully register the reality of it. Police aren’t trained to deal with victims of sexual trauma. It’s not like we have squads of Olivia Bensons out there.

    • Jamie42 says:

      I’m old as well (at least by the standards of this site). Facebook is absolutely not the place. It potentially taints the jury pool (unless people want to dispense with a trial at all, which many seem to want) and, in this case, allows a good lawyer to describe a subsequent claim as a mere copycat. The similarity of the second claim to the first, even to the repetition of not wanting to be “that girl,” could be a strong argument for the prosecution if the first story had not been blasted all over the internet. Now, instead of proof of a specific M.O. in his case, it looks as if the second Facebook post is copying the first–or rather, a good lawyer could make it look that way.

      And by the way: I never heard of this guy until a couple of days ago, so this is simply an abstract case to me.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        Facebook doesn’t taint anything. Personal experience.

      • happyoften says:

        I highly doubt either women gave a flip about jury pool, or defense lawyers and their tactics.

        An aside, I find it fascinating the mantra seems to be changing from “b..b..but his RIGHTS!” to “b..b..b..but FACEBOOK!”.

      • Jamie42 says:

        To happyoften.
        Kristina Cohen has now filed charges. Therefore she needs to “give a flip” about jury pools and defense lawyers and their tactics. Unless she wants her case to be dismissed or she wants a not guilty verdict. Or doesn’t she give a flip about that either?
        And as for Facebook: it’s a trash forum where lies have as much currency as truth, and the US is now paying the price with the worst president in our history. So I hope my disdain for all things Facebook is perfectly clear.

      • happyoften says:

        To Jaime.

        Kristina’s only going to get justice in a court of law if there are too many other victims to ignore. Her own experience was 3 years ago. There is no physical evidence. The only named witness helped set her up. She expected NO judicial interest in her story. Because, let’s face it. Fresh out the gate, there’s a whopping 2% conviction rate on rape cases, and her rape was 3 years ago. So if it is just Kristina, there isn’t going to be a jury pool to taint.

        She was just telling her story, because a friend encouraged her to. And facebook is a good enough platform for that.

        I could not imagine telling a rape survivor “You’re doing it wrong!” The hubris of your entire outlook is kinda fascinating.

      • Amy says:

        Jamie42, those are concerns for the prosecuting attorney. Judy selection and what the defense lawyers might do, are not her responsibility. She was raped. Evidence will be gathered. A case will be put together. It is not the victims job to make everything easy for the prosecuter. Often, women do not believe that they will get justice in a court room anyways, so they are going to tell their story to whomever will listen, reach out to other victims, and they will get justice in other ways by letting the world know what kind of man the rapist really is, and by warning as many other women as possible about him. They are the victim here, they were the ones who were hugely wronged, and it is not their job to make prosecuting their attacker easy and stress-free for society. Society has wronged them, by being a misogynistic place where rapists can and do operate, often without fear of being caught or punished in any meaningful way. It seems so backwards to say to someone who is a victim of a crime, “we know that the man who raped you did not respect the law or your rights, but you, the victim, need to be hyper sensitive and extremely respectful of how anything you do may affect our implementation of the law or his right to a fair trial. Because his right to an untainted Jury is more important than your right to not get raped. Our preference for an easy trial and conviction is more important than the fact that you were raped.”

    • Ankhel says:

      Because women often aren’t even believed by the people closest to them when they talk about the abuse they’ve suffered. Then think of the police, who are mostly “macho” men. Often, they try to talk you out of pressing charges, and treat you condescendingly at best. Only a small percentage of women who go to the police get trials, never mind convictions. So many women don’t even bother with the extra trauma. Can you believe this?

    • ell says:

      i literally don’t understand people acting as if back in the day women just spoke up freely, and all of those who committed rape were immediately jailed. women hid those things back in the day, way more than they do now. they always have. why? many reasons. people won’t believe you. the police won’t be believe you. or they’ll blame it on you. and what happens when you speak up anyway? often nothing, because these crimes are incredibly unlikely to get any sort of justice. not to mention people’s eyes an opinions; once you’ve spoken about it everyone will know, and judge you in whichever way it suits them. they’ll call you a liar at worst and pity you at best. only some will truly understand.

      we have a long way to go.

    • Merritt says:

      If you had been paying attention the last several years, then you would know that social media has become a powerful tool for people to come forward with their experiences of rape and sexual assault.

      • Brunswickstoval says:

        Wow “paying attention”? Not everyone lives on social media. Many of us for the past decade have been raising families and working, and i’ve avoided social media because it can be a sewer. I’ve only recently engaged with it as my kids have started to and am openly getting my head around this.

      • Merritt says:

        @Brunswick

        Ah the “I’m so busy” defense. But you presumably have time to read gossip sites? You don’t have to be on social media or use to regularly to know this information. So much of the commentary surrounding Cosby’s accusers has centered around how social media empowered them to come forward with their stories. Social media is a place that a once powerful media figure could not shut them down on.

      • Aren says:

        This is it really.
        Rape is a common occurrence where I live, and of course nobody cares about it. So, about a year ago, a woman was raped in a luxury interstate bus, she made a video and talked about what happened and about how she had gone to the police weeks before but heard nothing from them afterwards.
        A couple of days after uploading the video, the video evidence of the robbery and sexual attack were made public and a few hours later the suspects were identified.
        There had been crimes in that line for almost a year, but it took one brave woman talking about it on social media, to make the police and the bus company do something.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        Brunswickstoval, so you have spent a decade avoiding social media, but you apparently think you know enough about it to judge VICTIMS for using it as a lifeline? That is some crazy double talk.

        If you don’t understand why victims use social media, that is one thing. But don’t judge something you admittedly don’t understand. Ask sincere questions and learn. Don’t stand in ignorance and then judge people who have been victimized.

    • de says:

      When you are told by friends to “just forget about it” and your boyfriend not only doesn’t support you but breaks up with you why would you trust that going to the police would help? In a perfect world that is what would happen but as we’ve seen, going to the police to accuse a more powerful person means they have a pr machine that can go after you and silence you really quickly and the police then decide they can’t go forward with an investigation. In the last month victims have felt empowered to speak their truth and social media is a way to do that. As for your statements below that you are in your 40s and don’t understand social media…I am also in my 40s and can tell you Facebook is for people our generation and older. the younger people use Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat much more. Facebook has been around for over a decade and isn’t some new phenomenon.

    • detritus says:

      there was a very public movement, #metoo, that asked women to share their stories on social media.

      and as traumatic as it is, sharing on facebook is less traumatic that going to the police.

      So, two reasons above and beyond the basic response, which is she can tell her story where ever she damn pleases.

      • Sophia's Side eye says:

        And perhaps avoid the police trying to brush it under the rug. Maybe they’ll actually investigate their rape now that the public will be watching.

  9. HeyThere! says:

    I believe her just as I did Kristina. I’m sick to my stomach for the hell these women had to endure. What the actual F is wrong with him???

    I hope he goes to jail!!!!!!

  10. a reader says:

    Ok can all the skeptics from yesterday’s thread please proceed to eat their words?

    Thank you.

    I believe them both!

  11. Meme says:

    Where there is smoke, there is fire.

    This is not looking good.

  12. LooseSeal says:

    Before this comments section turns into yesterday, I would like everyone to ask themselves something before they post: who feels safer after reading my comment – a rapist or a survivor?

  13. Maya says:

    With all these predators being exposed all around, I am this close to give up on Hollywood men.

    Daniel Day Lewis, Denzel Washington and especially Chris Pine – you men are my last hope….

    • Mia4s says:

      Good Lord why would you name names? Jinx much?!

      Sorry bad humour. I haven’t heard anything except Pine got a DUI and Denzel allegedly has little to no loyalty to his longtime wife. Not so bad comparatively. 😬

      • Maya says:

        None taken 😁

        Cheating and DUIs can be forgivable if no one could injured.

        You are suspiciously quiet on Daniel Day Lewis… are stories there????

  14. Athyrmose says:

    It’s almost like we should just believe women the first time, eh?

  15. ArchieGoodwin says:

    did anyone else read about Charlie Sheen yesterday?

    At least, at the least people feel they can come forward. I did not read the thread from yesterday, and I’m glad for that having read the comments from this thread about it.

    Just listen to the brave people who come forward. I am so so tired of the “innocent until” argument. The fucking laws are sided with the abuser already, the laws already blame the victims 🙁

    • Rose says:

      I did, i wondered if they’d cover it here but not yet?!

      • ArchieGoodwin says:

        It’s just heartbreaking, that poor boy. And no wonder Corey Feldman never named names. The abuse he took, because he spoke out and not enough people believed him.

    • a reader says:

      I didn’t read anything about Charlie Sheen yesterday. What fresh h3ll is this?

      • detritus says:

        confirmation of the rumors swirling around him and the coreys for years.
        he’s been named.

    • MeowuiRose says:

      I saw that too and am very curious if CB is going to cover it. I remember Brooke Muller saying or implying that something really bad happened and that is why she left but I figured it was more releated to both of them being messy drug addicts. I’m very interested in learning more about this.

    • Moon Beam says:

      Yeah I was wondering if that would be covered here. The account was pretty disturbing and I don’t think Corey Haim ever had a chance for a “normal” life. If you are going to get your child into acting, you better have a pair of trusting eyes on them at all times. Predators are everywhere in showbiz.

      • Cali says:

        I think a LOT of the child actors/actresses went through some really horrific ordeals during their rise to fame. It makes me sick.

    • holly hobby says:

      Yes I read that story and I saw Lucas. This is so wrong and I wouldn’t put it past CS for doing that.

    • magnoliarose says:

      Charlie Sheen is one of many and the reason why parents should think twice about putting their children in the entertainment industry unless they are prepared to be advocates and protectors.
      Poor Corey Haim.

  16. HK9 says:

    I’m glad another one came forward…..lying bastard

  17. Allie B says:

    Welp, he’s toast. I wonder if he will use drugs as an excuse and “seek treatment”.

  18. Eveil says:

    I never watched Gossip Girl so I never knew Westwick’s work. If you’d shown me his picture, I would have said that he looked like one of those overpriveleged dudebros who secretly hate women and believe that they’re owed sex ,with or without consent, just for existing.

    I didn’t believe my friend when she accused her on-again and off-again boyfriend of rape. Of course I was naive, fifteen, had also been a rape victim and had been told that I needed to keep things quiet. That still doesn’t stop the sting of shame and regret.

    I will never NOT believe a victim. So yes, I believe in both of your stories and know that where there is a victim, there will always be others.

    These men, once they’ve raped someone and had a taste of it, will continue to rape others. Why? Because to them, they’ve discovered a secret – how to get away with the whole societal dance of “getting pussy” from women – and not only does it empower them to do it again and again but society has largely given them protection while they castigate their victims and silence them.

    Men are the worst and the society and justice system that they’ve built are organized only to protect their rights, no one else’s. I’ve also come to realize that men who are worse off in every way than women will still console themselves and say, “Things could be worse, I could be a woman.”

    • mary says:

      this

    • Ankhel says:

      This. Moving several times has taught me that there are serial rapists in every town ever, men who has made rape into a lifestyle. They know that they’ll probably get away with it as long as they’re a bit clever about it and not too violent. Sometimes they come in pairs or even gangs. I’ve seen little villages were every woman knows this one group of friends you don’t party with. So they target tourists, visitors and boarding students. Convictions? No. Even when everyone knows. Root them out! Screw their reputations and their careers, it’s ONLY their fault.

    • magnoliarose says:

      Yes. Everything.

  19. AngieB says:

    His initial response was so telling.

  20. DiligentDiva says:

    So do y’all believe her? Or you gonna keep going on your victim shaming ways like yesterday, all because this guy isn’t some disgusting looking pig man like Weinstein?

  21. Bianca says:

    Innocent until proven guilty is a good principle and it is a general principle in the justice system. It was not designed against women! I know we are all emotionally charged from reading about all these horrible stories of sexual abuse, but we should think clearly about this.
    The woman who was raped should have had biological evidence recovered. That’s impossible to hide. Even if it is difficult, take your best friend, your sister, your mother etc. with you and go to the police. They know how to deal with these cases, they are trained to handle abused women. We are a civilized society, we have institutions, police, a judicial system, we can’t just rely on the accuser’s word.
    PS This is not about E.W., I don’t care about him.

    • ArchieGoodwin says:

      I beg your pardon.

      Please refrain from trying to gaslight all of us into believing we are “emotionally charged women” and not thinking clearly.

      • Kitten says:

        This is why we can’t lead the country-us womenz are too emotional!
        I have my period today and it’s a wonder I can even function. I can’t think rationally and I’m all over the place!!
        Someone help me, it’s so hard being uncontrollable!!!!!!!!

      • magnoliarose says:

        I confess then. My hormones made me go on a killing spree of epic proportions. Those three ants had it coming cause I am insane with emotions!

      • Carrie1 says:

        No kidding, ugh.

        Thanks to all of you standing strong for victims here. I missed yesterday’s thread or maybe avoided it. Trauma is no joke.

        Anyone going on about law and due process, I know lots of legal professionals and all of them in a heartbeat would say the victims deserve to be believed and supported throughout. A good many more would admit the legal system is for men by men. We’ve had candid discussions about it before.

    • detritus says:

      your blind faith in policing tells me you’ve never reported DV to the cops. After my friends ex military boyfriend started punching her in the face and neck, she pushed him off and scratch his cheek.

      The neighbours called the cops because of her screams. when the cops arrived, they told her if she did not press charges immediately, she could be charged. They told her she was a bad person for not reporting immediately. The funny thing is, they never showed up after she kicked him out and returned, tapping on her windows, whispering threats outside her bedroom.

      the crisis center in town works directly with these cops, and they are considered ‘good’ in comparison to other close districts.

    • Eveil says:

      Yep, because police have always believed rape victims when they come forward.

      Because rape victims never have to undergo trials where every facet of their behavior is scrutinized down to their clothes and makeup while the defense alludes to the victim as overly delusional or over emotional and that they merely misunderstood the situation or are trying to get a payout from their poor rapist.

      It’s not like their rapists, if convicted, will actually serve years in prison. At max two years for a first time convicted offender, if that.

      So yes, tell me how we’re oh so civilized and how the system will protect us. The law and police are here to protect the interests of rich, white men. Which is why theft and drug use carries a higher sentence than white collar crimes or rape.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      ‘biological evidence recovered’???

      Are you actually joking? If you are totally shocked by what happened (I walked as a zombie 5 days after the rape) and you don’t get yourself to the hospital straightaway, there is no chance biological evidence will be recovered!!!

      • ell says:

        some comments completely lack empathy.

        the shock to something like this happening to you is too much, it’s too horrible. and i personally remember thinking i just wanted to get back home and sleep for days, which is what i did.

      • Kitten says:

        Did you guys read the account of the young man who was molested by Kevin Spacey? The comment section below was heartbreaking and not dissimilar from what we are seeing here.

      • ell says:

        @Kitten, i did see it. tbh i’m sort of surprised by these reactions for both EW and KS, because when the accusations against weinsten came out most commenters seemed very supportive (except for the odd ones who made comments like ‘hahaha alicia vikander career is over’, but still they were a minority). idk what changed now.

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      I’d like to move into your universe, do you have room? Because your outlook on the world is lovely.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      “The woman who was raped should have had biological evidence recovered. That’s impossible to hide.”

      Oh my, so many problems with this. I’ll just address a few:

      1. Biological evidence can show an “encounter” happened, but it doesn’t always show that there was no consent. That is the problem with many cases. There might be sperm, but the guy says it was consensual, the woman says it was not.

      2. When you say there “should” be biological evidence, you are assuming that a rapist is going to release inside the woman. To be raped doesn’t mean that he will finish, that he will finish on you or inside you. To be assaulted doesn’t even need to involve a penis or ejaculation.

      3. “The woman who was raped should…”
      We should NOT be making demands of people who have been incredibly traumatized and harmed. Unless you finished that sentence with “…never have been raped”, then it was a sentence that never should have been written. Why would you judge the actions of a person who is trying to SURVIVE such harm?

  22. Cee says:

    2017 has been a shit year for many of us but the one silver lining I can gleam is that this kind of behaviour is finally being exposed for what it is – wrong, unjust and illegal.

    EDIT: rapists and predators come in all shapes, sizes, colours, genders, etc. I was raped by my partner DURING what began as consensual sex and ended in anal rape. It’s not always a stranger, sometimes it’s those close to us.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      @Cee

      Mine similar to you. And it felt like trying to fight against windmills with police officers who were totally worried about the rapists point of view (it was consensual, yes the start!) but disregarded mine for 6 months.

      • Cee says:

        I didn’t even report it. It lasted less than 5 minutes and I knew it would go nowhere. Men don’t understand consent. The Police, in most cases, only care about “women trying to ruin a man’s reputation” because we LOVE to lie.

        Did you get anywhere with yours?

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        He was never charged nor they even attempted to do it; I was nearly charged for false accusations. They had destroyed evidence against him (“his father is such a nice guy!”) and when all the files arrived to procurator’s office, it blew off in their faces (thank God). I had indeed dated a serial rapist, who was never convicted because the other 2 witnesses had received anonymous death threats and I was ‘butchered’, physically and emotionally, by the police officers.

        Mine didn’t last 5 minutes, I had other physical damages too. However, I didn’t report it straightaway, because I was living in terror, he had threatened me with death if I did (on the phone).
        I was ‘dragged out’ to report it 3 months later because one of the charities I was having therapy at found out he had started to work with vulnerable children and teenagers.

      • Cee says:

        I am so, so, so very sorry. It’s not just him who abused you, the police did too.
        They willingly scare and humilliate us in order to get away with it. If only more women had the courage to come forward… yet we are ridiculed, accused and misbelieved at every turn.

    • ell says:

      mine’s similar to yours as well (it often is, of all the women i know who were sexually assaulted it’s usually boyfriends/dates, male friends and occasionally family members, but anyway people they knew and likely trusted), a boyfriend at the time. the fact i was in a relationship with him, and that i was 19 and he was older and my parents didn’t know i was seeing him, were two of the main reasons why i never reported it. i was scared nobody would believe me because i was dating him, and i didn’t want to disappoint my parents. these things are never easy, when people say ‘report it’… try and be there.

    • detritus says:

      One of my stories is similar.
      It started with consensual making out and nudity, ended with forced penetration against my express wishes, and i was too drunk to consent, regardless.
      It took me years to understand and process what happened, I have never reported it.

  23. LittlefishMom says:

    He is super creepy looking.

    • holly hobby says:

      Yep never watched Gossip Girl but I remember seeing his pictures and thought he looked creepy. Definitely not leading man material. His outside does match his insides right?

  24. Sherry says:

    One thing both of these women have in common is they had crappy boyfriends at the time. In Cohen’s instance the boyfriend left her alone at the house while she was sleeping AFTER she said she felt uncomfortable with Westwick, berating her into silence when she told him she was raped. Wynn was abandoned by her boyfriend at the house they were sharing with Westwick, then berated her after she told him she was raped and followed that up with breaking up with her.

    The boyfriend in the Cohen incident seems especially sleazy and complicit to me.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      I thought the exact same thing. Cohen’s boyfriend was completely in on it. That was a set-up. That entire scenario was just wrong: she is taken to some random actor’s house who brings up having a threesome? And her boyfriend basically makes her stay despite her discomfort. And then suddenly she’s woozy and sleepy? Yeah that was a racket they both had run before. As for Salling? A pedophile and a garbage human being probably won’t have much sympathy for a rape victim.

  25. Valiantly Varnished says:

    And of course. We all knew another victim would come forward. And I’m sure there will be more to come. I’m so glad that victims are feeling strong enough and brave enough to come forward. I hope every victim finds their voice and speaks up.

  26. Samantha says:

    I wasn’t a fan of the tone used in yesterday’s article tbh, it was surprising. Also, it seems like unless there are multiple accusations, the victims are still disbelieved and taunted.

  27. Brittany says:

    Was he friends with Salling? *bites lip*

  28. Pandy says:

    God, it just doesn’t end …. I’m tired of hearing of it, it’s so depressing and dredges up bad memories, yet I’m super proud that women and men are finally coming forward to name names. I will keep reading it to honor their stories – and to know who to stop supporting with my $$ and attention.

    • Cali says:

      I’m tired of hearing it, yet I hope it all continues to spill out. All of it. Nobody should be given a pass. I think there are a LOT more stories to be shared. It’d depressing but hopefully will bring about some TRUE change.

  29. ALF-M says:

    I definitely believe Christina was set up by her then wanna be producer BF bringing her over to Ed’s place and him and Ed had some scheme, hence her rape. This girl, poor dear was dating Mark (child porn) Salling at the time of this party! Poor dear! I would’ve thought after learning a lesson through playing someone who almost rapes a teenage girl, Jenny S1, on Gossip Girl (yet strangely she lets him stupidly deflower her out of revenge of Blair only for both to regret it) he’d know the difference between right and wrong. He was just having a slight comeback with Netflix’s White Gold basically playing his native English version of a Chuck Bass schemer selling doors and window frames as well as on Crackle’s tv series version of Snatch. I guess White Gold will have to replace him since I Doubt the two guys from the Invetweeners will want to co-star with him! Nor will Netflix want anything to do it!

  30. Lorelai says:

    Omg, I just looked at her Instagram and she is TERRIBLE. She’s also touting herself as a jewelry designer with a link to “shop her style” in her online catalogue.

    She posted this in all seriousness: “jessicamichelMay my body be seed-bearing, a garden for prime blossom.
    May I prosper and thrive. Shoot, spike, spray. The cream, the elite at my finest point, will I be plucked to pleasure. Love me, water me, cherish me, bury me. I will be reborn.
    Thy everlasting love, Mother Nature”

    She doesn’t seem like the brightest bulb so I’m not terribly shocked to see that she’s standing by him and calling the accusations “bullshit.”

    ETA: I posted this before seeing her Halloween photo where she captioned it “when you run into your BFF’s ex” and shows her about to put a severed head into her freezer. She’s just gross.

  31. KatC says:

    I think part of the reason people were struggling with the accusations in yesterday’s post had more to do with Ed Weswick being someone the public is somewhat familiar with, who hasn’t had any sorts of rumors of this sort, whereas his accuser is a complete unknown.

    The truth of the matter is, commentators on this site call women liars all the time. Look at the last post where Halle Berry claims Gabrial Aubrey was abusive. People all over the comments were saying she’s a liar and a manipulator. Or the post about Gwyneth Paltrow saying she had been at fault in her and Brad’s break up. People in the comments were all over how she was such an unscrupulous fame whore for H.W. and she got caught. Some of those same people are here now saying they would never doubt a woman/victim and accusing other posters of misogyny.

    I honestly think this is one of those times where a lot of people are still learning. There’s nothing inherently unreasonable about recognizing that by treating an accusation as fact, you are forcing the accused to prove a negative (which is often literally impossible). I can see how posters would feel that doing so is irresponsible.

    But it would be more irresponsible to deny the overwhelming evidence we do have about people that are victims of rape/assault, how they respond, and how they are so frequently received by law enforcement and their communities even when they do come forward.

    If it is important to someone to feel that there is more backing up such allegations than the moral character of someone they’ve never met, consider this: if any of the people we’ve seen being accused over the past month or so were able to show that their accusers were lying, the person lying would be absolutely crucified in the press, and very likely sued for defamation and damages. In the age of social media they would likely be fired, unable to find new work, and harassed/doxxed on any and every platform.

    So, logically. can you imagine someone would take that risk for 15 min? It’s not like anyone is tripping over themselves to offer any of the current accusers big screen roles they wouldn’t have gotten anyway.

  32. Sunshine says:

    He now says he can prove these claims are untrue. So now we wait to see if/how he can prove it.

    • Patty says:

      Out of town maybe? In a different country? Passport proof? Video of a consensual encounter? Who even knows.

      I am uncomfortable with calls to fire the guy and all the comments about how creepy he looks; how someone looks is not a good indicator of guilt or innocence. Rapists don’t have a particular look.

      And I’m going to disagree here and say nothing has changed. Nothing. Good for people for sharing their stories, but nothing has changed and it won’t change because sharing your story on social media isn’t enough. Good for anyone who was a victim, but it’s not going to result in actual punishment. It’s not going to result in significant changes to police procedure or policy. It’s good fodder for gossip sites, and opinion columns, that’s about it at this point.

  33. Jennifer says:

    I never saw Gossip Girl, but I love him in White Gold. Dammit, Ed! You are a complete jerk and now I can’t even watch the show anymore.

  34. Neens says:

    I hope the BBC fires him. This man clearly has a pattern of assault.

  35. Brittany says:

    Tick-tock, Bryan Singer. Tick-tock.

  36. Furiosa says:

    I believe both of them. Rapists have been hiding in the open too long. They need to be named, shamed and charged. They need to be stripped of everything they have and left in nothing but a burlap sack in the middle of the arctic wasteland where polar bears can hunt them down and munch on their perverted bones.