Canadian actress Ellen Page is the latest celebrity to speak out against sexual predators in Hollywood.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Page described her experience of working with director Brett Ratner on the set of X-Men: The Last Stand, outlining his inappropriate and homophobic behaviour.
She claimed that during a cast and crew meet-and-greet, the director pointed at Page and told the woman next to her, "You should fuck her to make her realize she's gay." Page was 18 at the time and, in the post, said she "had not yet come out to myself."
"This public, aggressive outing left me with long standing feelings of shame, one of the most destructive results of homophobia," she wrote. "Making someone feel ashamed of who they are is a cruel manipulation, designed to oppress and repress. I was robbed of more than autonomy over my ability to define myself. Ratner's comment replayed in my mind many times over the years as I encountered homophobia and coped with feelings of reluctance and uncertainty about the industry and my future in it."
Page continued to describe other "degrading" remarks Ratner made towards women, alleging that he once commented on a woman's "flappy pussy" when she walked by a monitor on set.
Page said Ratner once pressured her to wear a "Team Ratner" shirt. She responded, "I am not on your team" and refused. The actress said she was later reprimanded by producers, who told her she "couldn't talk like that to him."
Sadly, Ratner wasn't the first predatory director Page encountered during her career. She said that when she was 16, a director took her to dinner and "fondled my leg under the table," then told her: "You have to make the move, I can't."
She also claimed that a grip sexually assaulted her on one project and said that another director asked her "to sleep with a man in his late twenties and to tell them about it" — all while she was still 16 years old.
Page also addressed her past collaboration with Woody Allen, saying that she regrets working with him on 2012's To Rome with Love. "It is the biggest regret of my career," she wrote. "I am ashamed I did this. I had yet to find my voice and was not who I am now and felt pressured… Ultimately, however, it is my choice what films I decide to do and I made the wrong choice. I made an awful mistake."
Page closed by lending support to other victims and praising those who have come forward to speak out against abuse in the industry. Read her powerful message in its entirety below.
Page's X-Men co-star and fellow Canadian-born actress Anna Paquin has also spoken up, voicing her support for Page on Twitter.
Earlier this month, Ratner was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by six other actresses. Woody Allen, meanwhile, offered a tone-deaf statement in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein accusations, saying he hoped the scandal didn't "lead to a witch hunt atmosphere."
In a lengthy Facebook post, Page described her experience of working with director Brett Ratner on the set of X-Men: The Last Stand, outlining his inappropriate and homophobic behaviour.
She claimed that during a cast and crew meet-and-greet, the director pointed at Page and told the woman next to her, "You should fuck her to make her realize she's gay." Page was 18 at the time and, in the post, said she "had not yet come out to myself."
"This public, aggressive outing left me with long standing feelings of shame, one of the most destructive results of homophobia," she wrote. "Making someone feel ashamed of who they are is a cruel manipulation, designed to oppress and repress. I was robbed of more than autonomy over my ability to define myself. Ratner's comment replayed in my mind many times over the years as I encountered homophobia and coped with feelings of reluctance and uncertainty about the industry and my future in it."
Page continued to describe other "degrading" remarks Ratner made towards women, alleging that he once commented on a woman's "flappy pussy" when she walked by a monitor on set.
Page said Ratner once pressured her to wear a "Team Ratner" shirt. She responded, "I am not on your team" and refused. The actress said she was later reprimanded by producers, who told her she "couldn't talk like that to him."
Sadly, Ratner wasn't the first predatory director Page encountered during her career. She said that when she was 16, a director took her to dinner and "fondled my leg under the table," then told her: "You have to make the move, I can't."
She also claimed that a grip sexually assaulted her on one project and said that another director asked her "to sleep with a man in his late twenties and to tell them about it" — all while she was still 16 years old.
Page also addressed her past collaboration with Woody Allen, saying that she regrets working with him on 2012's To Rome with Love. "It is the biggest regret of my career," she wrote. "I am ashamed I did this. I had yet to find my voice and was not who I am now and felt pressured… Ultimately, however, it is my choice what films I decide to do and I made the wrong choice. I made an awful mistake."
Page closed by lending support to other victims and praising those who have come forward to speak out against abuse in the industry. Read her powerful message in its entirety below.
Page's X-Men co-star and fellow Canadian-born actress Anna Paquin has also spoken up, voicing her support for Page on Twitter.
I was there when that comment was made. I stand with you .@EllenPage https://t.co/DEIvKDXeEL
— Anna Paquin (@AnnaPaquin) November 10, 2017
Earlier this month, Ratner was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by six other actresses. Woody Allen, meanwhile, offered a tone-deaf statement in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein accusations, saying he hoped the scandal didn't "lead to a witch hunt atmosphere."
