Penn Badgley speaks out
YOU's Penn Badgley has spoken out after his co-star Chris D'Elia was recently accused of sexual assault and harassment by Twitter users.
The Joe Goldberg actor told the Los Angeles Times that the allegations, 'deeply affected,' him.
He admitted, 'I know that, if there’s anything we need to do in this age, it’s to believe women.'
Chris was accused by multiple women online of sexually harassing and grooming younger women.
It's alleged he sent messages to a number of girls, some of age and others underage.
The American comedian allegedly solicited pictures and offered the chance to meet him backstage at his shows.
thread: https://t.co/jmQ6xkl9vV https://t.co/EHQDrfDKPZ
— simoné (@girlpowertbh) June 17, 2020
Chris' response
In a statement to TMZ, Chris apologised for his behaviour.
He said, 'I know I have said and done things that might have offended people during my career, but I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point.'
'All of my relationships have been both legal and consensual and I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me.'
'I was a dumb guy who ABSOLUTELY let myself get caught up in my lifestyle. That’s MY fault. I own it.'
'I’ve been reflecting on this for some time now and I promise I will continue to do better,' he finished.
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Penn's thoughts
Penn discussed the matter with the Los Angeles Times this week, in a conversation about toxic masculinity.
He was asked whether the allegations against Chris made him think more about the theme in the context of the show or his character.
The actor responded, 'Systemically, it needs to be addressed. Individually, it needs to be addressed.'
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He went on to say the allegations against his co-star, 'deeply affected [him].'
Penn said, 'I am very troubled by it. I don’t know Chris.'
'I know that, if there’s anything we need to do in this age, it’s to believe women.'
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The 33-year-old said it's disturbing to think that their show would, 'indirectly, unwittingly be a haven for people who are abusive.'
Penn believes more needs to be done to change this, 'Because it’s not just vetting individuals.'
'There needs to be a change in culture and attitude so that that kind of behavior is so clearly reprehensible, it’s so clearly, like, anti-human.'
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'Does a show like ours help to create that culture?'
The Gossip Girl actor begs the question, 'does a show like ours help to create that culture?'
Defending the making of YOU, Penn said the series, 'thinks about things in a dismantling, deconstructive manner.'
'I would hope that at least our show is not serving to uphold these kind of, like, bunk ways of being and these systems, right?'
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Penn revealed producers approached Jenna Ortega, who played Ellie opposite Chris in YOU following the allegations.
He said they just wanted to make sure that she felt safe.
'So, as far as our show is concerned, as far as we’re concerned, there’s only so much we can take responsibility for.'
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Penn added, 'And I say, 'we,' pretty broadly, because we’re all doing different things.'
'I’m, at the end of the day, an actor, and I don’t have a lot to do with a lot of this stuff.'
'But I do think, in the future, I would like that to change, personally,' he finished.
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No further comment has been made at this point.
