Angela Lansbury made some controversial comments to Radio Times about how “there are two sides to this coin” of sexual harassment in Hollywood.
“We have to own up to the fact that women, since time immemorial, have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive,” the 92-year-old said. “And unfortunately it has backfired on us — and this is where we are today.”
“We must sometimes take blame, women. I really do think that,” she added. “Although it’s awful to say we can’t make ourselves look as attractive as possible without being knocked down and raped.”
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“Should women be prepared for this? No, they shouldn’t have to be,” Lansbury said. “There’s no excuse for that. And I think it will stop now — it will have to. I think a lot of men must be very worried at this point.”
Lansbury said that blame should not be placed on the victims of harassment or assault, but the backlash has already begun across social media in light of her comments.
Her name began to trend on Twitter after her statements were published and they weren’t received all that well by many.
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Patricia Arquette, among many others, was quick to criticize Lansbury for her remarks.
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“When Angela (Lansbury) blames sexual assaults on victims being too attractive she needs a reminder 3 month old raped,” Arquette tweeted Tuesday.
https://twitter.com/PattyArquette/status/935506242012876800
“It doesn’t matter how young or old, how beautiful or homely,” she added. “Rapists rape. End of story.”
https://twitter.com/PattyArquette/status/935506891358244864
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The majority of people who have spoken publicly about the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, and many other stories about famous men that followed, have praised victims for coming forward.
Many other Twitter users are accusing Lansbury of victim blaming.
https://twitter.com/allig4torsky_/status/935443963431084032
https://twitter.com/lauraewaddell/status/935489873875742721
https://twitter.com/StanHengen/status/935465989516513280
Lansbury’s comments were also rebuked by the organization Rape Crisis England & Wales, which said in a statement: “It is a deeply unhelpful myth that rape and other forms of sexual violence are caused or ‘provoked’ by women’s sexuality or ‘attractiveness.’”
Lansbury is best known for her role as Jessica Fletcher in the TV series, Murder, She Wrote. She will be in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns as the Balloon Lady.
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