Celebrity5 min(s) read
Jena Malone says she was assaulted by 'someone she had worked with' on 'Hunger Games'
Jena Malone has opened up about being sexually assaulted by someone she worked with on The Hunger Games in a brave candid post.
The actress, 38, took to Instagram this week to share a photo of herself in a meadow after filming had finished on 2015's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, which was the final film in the franchise.
She revealed that she took the photo in the French countryside to "capture the moment" after feeling a mixture of emotions during a difficult time in her life.
As well as being grateful for the experience of working on the film, she also shared that she had been sexually assaulted by someone she'd worked with.
Malone - who played Johanna Mason in the Hunger Games series of films - told her followers: " —trigger warning—This photo was taken right after I wrapped mocking Jay part two and I had to say goodbye to everyone on set.
"We were shooting in a beautiful estate in the countryside of France and I asked the driver to let me out in this field so I could cry and capture this moment. Even tho this time in Paris was extremely hard for me, was going thru a bad break up and also was sexually assaulted by someone I had worked with, I was so full of gratitude for this project, the people I became close with and this amazing part I got to play.
"A swirling mix of emotions im only now just learning to sort thru. I wish it wasn’t tied to such a traumatic event for me but that is the real wildness of life I I guess. How to hold the chaos with the beauty."
Malone also revealed that she had worked hard to "make peace" with herself and the person that had assaulted her in order to "move through it" and be able to reflect on the happier times working on the project.
"I’ve worked very hard to heal and learn thru restorative justice , how to make peace with the person who violated me and make peace with myself," she told her followers. "It’s been hard to talk about the hunger games and Johanna Mason without feeling the sharpness of this moment in time but I’m ready to move thru it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt.
"Lots of love to you survivors out there. The process is so slow and non linear. I want to say im here for anyone who needs to talk or vent or open uncommunicated spaces within themselves. Please dm me if you need a safe space to be heard."
Malone did not elaborate on who the person who assaulted her was or whether they were part of the cast or crew and representatives for the actress and Lionsgate have yet to comment.
Her post was flooded with messages of support from friends and fans, including co-star Willow Shields, who played Primrose Everdeen in the franchise, who wrote: "This post has me at a loss of words. I understand and I hope that though the process is so slow you are okay Jena."
Other followers added: "Fellow survivor here ~ love and gratitude to you as you hold the complexity," and "Thank you for sharing this, Jena. As a victim myself, I understand how hard it is when being reminded of where you where and what you were doing around the time of your assault. It pains me that something so joyful for so many once brought you pain. I hope you’re able to continue to heal, and thank you for reclaiming power. You’re so strong. We love you!"
Malone's post comes six months after she also opened up about her sexuality, revealing that she was learning more about the "words that feel right to explore" her sexuality, whether that be "pansexuality," "sapiosexuality," or "polyamory".
She told the Hollywood Reporter in August: "The sexual journey is so beautiful. I mean, all of the identity journeys are so cool. I feel like I'm a little bit late to the game in being able to have less shame.
"I've been loving the process of learning more about myself and others through different terms that open windows, those windows then turns into doors, and then I arrive at a place to find all this cool stuff out there.
"It's a part of humanity now to have all these ceremonies of exclamation around coming out and renouncing [an identity] and celebrating that space for yourself. It's a really sweet, human experience. I love getting to learn more about myself no matter the age or my experience."
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.