Actress Natalie Portman has quickly become an idealized model of leftwing feminism and a go-to celebrity for Hollywood’s anti-sexual harassment campaign dubbed “Time’s Up.” During the Golden Globes, for instance, Portman earned some serious Feminist Points for making a snide comment about there being only men nominated for best director award. This comment was deemed important and powerful.
But one thing has come back to deeply undermine Portman’s “Time’s Up” creds: her open support for child rapist Roman Polanski. The “Black Swan” actress signed a 2009 petition that called for the pardoning of the director.
In 1978, Polanski pleaded guilty to child rape and has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least five women.
“The incident which sparked the long battle took place in 1977, when Polanski had unlawful sex with 13-year-old Samantha Gailey at actor Jack Nicholson’s Hollywood home,” reported the BBC. “The film-maker was arrested and charged with a string of offences, eventually admitting to having sex with a minor. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea bargain.”
The Left and Portman’s Hollywood pals have been largely silent on the Polanski issue since the inception of the #MeToo and “Time’s Up” campaigns. But in an interview on Tuesday, Portman was finally asked about her signature on the petition asking to pardon the director.
“You signed the Roman Polanski petition after he was arrested in Switzerland in 2009. How do you feel about that now?” asked BuzzFeed.
“I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, ‘I signed this. Will you too?’ And I was like, sure. It was a mistake,” said the 36-year-old.
“The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. We lived in a different world, and that doesn’t excuse anything. But you can have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live. My eyes were not open,” Portman added.
BuzzFeed quickly pardoned Portman, dubbing her “the woke actor we need right now.”