by - Jena Malone has revealed that she was sexually assaulted during the filming of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2.
- The actress announced the incident in a recent Instagram post, although she did not name her attacker.
- Malone said she spoke to the “other party involved” as part of the application of “restorative justice.”
Jena Malone has revealed that she was sexually assaulted during the filming of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2.
The actor – who joined the blockbuster franchise in 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as Johanna Mason – published an Instagram post on Tuesday that revealed the incident.
Malone said her filming time in France, where part of the film was shot, was “extremely tough” as she was going through a “bad” breakup and was “sexually assaulted” by someone she worked with.
“I was so filled with gratitude for this project, the people I came into contact with and this amazing role I got to play,” Malone wrote in the caption. “A swirling mix of emotions, I’m only now learning to deal with it. I wish it didn’t come with such a traumatic event for me, but that’s the true wildness of life I think.”
The actor, who has not revealed the name of the person who sexually assaulted her, explained that she has “worked very hard to heal and learn through restorative justice” to “make peace” with her attacker and herself close”.
“It was hard to talk about the Hunger Games and Johanna Mason without feeling the poignancy of that moment, but I’m ready to go through it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt,” Malone continued. “Lots of love to you survivors out there. The process is so slow and non-linear.
Representatives from Lionsgate, the studio behind the Hunger Games franchise, did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Instagram users flooded the actor’s revealing post with words of love and support.
“Thank you for your courage and vulnerability,” wrote one user. “Lots of love to you and so much gratitude for everything you have brought into this universe. I’m so sorry you had to endure that.”
Malone, responding to another user’s comment, partially explained why she chose not to name her attacker.
“I did a lot of research online,” she added. “What got me there was the feeling of not being held by ‘outing’ someone with the traditional break-off culture that was created. I also don’t quite see how the criminal justice system could fully repair my healing, although I believe it can help in many ways.”
The actress noted that her research led her to adopt “restorative justice,” a system that encouraged her to “speak to the other party involved,” make inquiries about her healing journey, and “really just be heard.”
Malone has previously addressed the conditions women face behind the scenes. It’s a situation that she believes needs improvement, although she remains optimistic.
“I think the things to be optimistic about are building language, learning to add words and slang to things that haven’t been spoken well in the past and learning how to build allies, especially for his own wellbeing,” she told IndieWire in February. “I think this is a really cool byproduct of where #MeToo started and is now being reversed because of the pandemic. It’s a really nice awareness of not just power structures, but also, ‘Honey, we need quiet. Let’s have better hours on set, let’s be nice to each other.'”
