US6 min(s) read
An “enraged” Florence Pugh has urged men to speak up after a former Cornell University student was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted by seven members of a fraternity.
The Hollywood actress said she was “heartbroken” by what she believes points towards a widespread issue of institutions protecting men while failing women who report sexual violence against them.
Pugh shared a lengthy statement on Instagram after reading about the civil lawsuit filed by the former student, who is identified as Jane Doe in court documents, with Doe alleging that she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024 and has accused seven fraternity members of taking part in the alleged assault.
Writing about the case, Pugh said she felt “uneasy and sick and anxious”, adding: “I know this has happened before, and I hate the idea of it happening again.”
“This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us,” she wrote.
“You need to be leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behaviour as much as we are. How can you expect us to trust that it's ‘not all men’ when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?”
According to Doe's lawsuit, a reported initial assault was followed by one of the men sending a message to an active Snapchat group associated with the fraternity, allegedly inviting other members upstairs, with several other male students subsequently arriving, with Doe alleging that she was subjected to an hours-long assault involving seven men.
Pugh also criticized anyone who allegedly knew what was happening but failed to intervene.
“Every single person who knew or heard about this happening, should be looked at with serious concern,” the actor wrote.
“They are as evil as those planning it. To know that a torture as violent as rape is about to happen ‘upstairs’ and not do ANYTHING ABOUT IT, is sick, cowardly and cold.”
The actor also called the university’s disciplinary procedures into question, and expressed anger at the reported action described in the lawsuit.
The filing states that, of the seven men named, two were ultimately expelled from Cornell, while the others allegedly faced measures including temporary suspensions, workshops and essay-writing assignments, with Pugh questioning whether such consequences could ever reflect the seriousness of the allegations.
“The thing that makes me most heartbroken, is it’s a want to kill a soul. This is a killing of a soul,” she wrote.
“And they’ve been let off? All it takes is write a quick ‘I’m so sorry I raped a girl while she was drugged with my friends, we thought it would be fine?’ essay and you’re good to go! This is unacceptable.”
“Colleges/schools/universities repeatedly fail women around the world. You build men that get taught through time and time again that they can do extreme harm and that they won't be harmed in return,” Pugh wrote.
“I’m no longer tired – I’m enraged by schools protecting boys, in fear of their futures being wrecked.
“What about the life that those girls then have to endure, with the knowledge that his reputation is more precious than her truth? Or to feel that no one with the power to do something cares that you were abused.”
“It’s further soul-destroying,” Pugh continued.
“Those that protect and lightly sentence men that rape and destroy, should be punished and watched closely. Why are you protecting someone that fiercely?”
Cornell has previously responded to the allegations by saying its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the matter under university policy.
However, Cornell said federal privacy laws prevented it from discussing individual students' disciplinary records, with Cornell's vice president for university relations, Kyle Kimball, saying, “We take sexual violence extremely seriously,” adding that the university would “respond in detail through the legal process”.
Following her deep condemnation of the university and the wider issue at hand, Pugh concluded her post by calling for greater protections for women and victims of sexual violence.
“There is no equality until you respect our bodies. There is no equality until you stop damaging our souls. There is no equality until you let us live. There is no equality until we can say we feel safe.
“We are the life force of this earth, start fucking protecting us. Be angry for us. Please.”
The actress later claimed that Instagram had restricted access to her post. Sharing an Instagram Story, she said that “neither I or some of my followers can access the recent post”.
“Why is that? Has it been taken down for others? Am I being censored for talking about rape?” she asked.
In another post, Pugh claimed the statement had been “partially taken down”.
“Some people can only see the trigger warning and some people can’t swipe. Great! Another lovely lesson to teach people that if you speak up about it, we will silence you! Good job I saved it. I’ll give it another go.”
Pugh subsequently attempted to share the statement again and alleged that Instagram was restricting its reach.
“I just tried posting it again and it’s blocking me from reaching people,” she wrote. “Instagram, at least we can see what side you’re on. Don’t protect rapists. It’s pathetic behaviour.”
Doe, who left Cornell following the alleged incident, is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in her lawsuit, with her claims including several breaches of contract and alleged violations of state law.
Anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse can seek support.
RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached on 800-656-HOPE (4673) in the US.
