In addition to calling out Ratner and Allen, the 'Flatliners' actress reveals that she was sexually assaulted by powerful men in Hollywood.
- Nov 11, 2017
AceShowbiz - Ellen Page took it to Facebook to share her own story with harassment in Hollywood. In a lengthy post, the actress accused Brett Ratner of homophobic harassment as she recounted her unpleasant experience working with the filmmaker. She was 18 back then, playing the role of Kitty Pryde in "X-Men: The Last Stand" which he directed.
The "Flatliners" star, now 30 years old, remembered, "He looked at a woman standing next to me, ten years my senior, pointed to me and said: 'You should f**k her to make her realize she's gay.' " She claimed, "He said this about me during a cast and crew 'meet and greet' before we began filming."
"I was a young adult who had not yet come out to myself," she wrote. "I knew I was gay, but did not know, so to speak. I felt violated when this happened. I looked down at my feet, didn't say a word and watched as no one else did either. This man, who had cast me in the film, started our months of filming at a work event with this horrific, unchallenged plea. He 'outed' me with no regard for my well-being, an act we all recognize as homophobic. I proceeded to watch him on set say degrading things to women. I remember a woman walking by the monitor as he made a comment about her 'flappy p***y.' "
Page said that she tried to stand up for herself but got scolded instead. She recalled, "I got into an altercation with Brett at a certain point. He was pressuring me, in front of many people, to don a t-shirt with 'Team Ratner' on it. I said no and he insisted. I responded, 'I am not on your team.' Later in the day, producers of the film came to my trailer to say that I 'couldn't talk like that to him.' I was being reprimanded, yet he was not being punished nor fired for the blatantly homophobic and abusive behavior we all witnessed. I was an actor that no one knew. I was eighteen and had no tools to know how to handle the situation."
She additionally revealed that she suffered from sexual assault at the hands of powerful men in the industry. Without giving any names, she wrote, "I was sixteen a director took me to dinner (a professional obligation and a very common one). He fondled my leg under the table and said, 'You have to make the move, I can't.' I did not make the move and I was fortunate to get away from that situation. It was a painful realization: my safety was not guaranteed at work. An adult authority figure for whom I worked intended to exploit me, physically. I was sexually assaulted by a grip months later. I was asked by a director to sleep with a man in his late twenties and to tell them about it. I did not."
The actress also called out Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski. She stated, "Bill Cosby was known to be predatory. The crimes were his, but many were complicit. Many more chose to look the other way. Harvey was known to be predatory. The crimes were his, but many were complicit. Many more chose to look the other way. We continue to celebrate filmmaker Roman Polanski, who was convicted of drugging and anally raping a young girl and who fled sentencing. A fugitive from justice. I've heard the industry decry Weinstein's behavior and vow to affect meaningful change. But let's be truthful: the list is long and still protected by the status quo."
Page ultimatedly regretted starring in a movie directed by Woody Allen who has long been accused of molesting Mia Farrow's daughter. "I did a Woody Allen movie and it is the biggest regret of my career," Page wrote. "I am ashamed I did this. I had yet to find my voice and was not who I am now and felt pressured, because 'of course you have to say yes to this Woody Allen film.' Ultimately, however, it is my choice what films I decide to do and I made the wrong choice. I made an awful mistake."
