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Ansel Elgort’sWest Side Storycostars areaddressing sexual assault allegationsmade against the actor, which he has denied.
The Fault in Our Starsactorresponded in a statement at the time, saying he has “never and would never assault anyone,” and that they had a “brief, legal and entirely consensual relationship.”
Steven Spielberg’sWest Side Story, in which Elgort plays the lead Tony, was filmed prior to the allegations being made public. The musical hit theaters in December after being postponed due to the pandemic. Elgort participated in group interviews to promote the project, and he attended the red carpet withlongtime girlfriend Violetta Komyshan.
In a newHollywood Reportercover story, Rachel Zegler, who plays Elgort’s love interest Maria, addressed the allegations against her costar.
“We made a movie two and a half years ago, and a lot has gone on in the world since then. A lot has changed very publicly, and privately as well. There’s been a lot of awakening,” she told the outlet. “You just hope that the people involved are okay, that they are asked in a respectful manner and that they are given the opportunity to answer for themselves.”
Two otherWest Side Storycostars also commented on the controversy. Rita Moreno, who shared most of her scenes with Elgort, said, “I think it would have been absolutely horrendous and wrong for anyone to take sides in that matter. It’s not for me to make those judgments.”
Meanwhile,Ariana DeBosesaid, “Nobody really knows what’s going on in anyone’s head. Only the people who were involved in that situation know what actually went down.”
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The woman said she initially chose not to come forward with her allegations but she decided to speak out so she could “finally heal.” She wrote, “Years later I have ptsd, I have panic attacks I go to therapy. Finally I’m ready to talk about it and finally heal.” She also alleged that she “didn’t tell anyone because [Elgort] said it could ‘ruin his career.’ "
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
