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‘Baby Driver’ Star Ansel Elgort Breaks Silence After Sexual Assault Allegations: ‘I Was Distressed’
Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort broke his silence after he was accused of sexual assault after a former fan, a woman named Gabby, claimed he took advantage of her when she was 17 and he was in his 20s.
“I was distressed to see the social media posts about me that has been circulating in the past 24 hours,” Ansel, 26, wrote in a statement via Instagram on Saturday, June 20. “I cannot claim to understand Gabby’s feelings but her description of events is simply not what happened. I have never and would never assault anyone. What is true is that in New York in 2014, when I was 20, Gabby and I had a brief, legal and entirely consensual relationship. Unfortunately, I did not handle the break up well. I stopped responding to her, which was an immature and cruel thing to do to someone. I know this belated apology does not absolve me of my unacceptable behavior when I disappeared.”
The Divergent alum continued, “As I look back at my attitude, I am disgusted and deeply ashamed of the way I acted. I am truly sorry. I know I must continue to reflect, learn and work to grow in empathy.”
On Friday, June 19, Gabby took to Twitter and alleged the actor asked her for nudes and had sex with her after she slid into his DMs.
“I was sexually assaulted a couple days after I just turned 17,” she wrote on the social media site. “He was in his 20s. He knew what he was doing. … Ansel Elgort sexually assaulted me when I was 17. I had DMed him when it was two days before my 17th birthday, and I got his private Snapchat. I didn’t think he’d ever see my DM. I was just a kid and was a fan of him.”
She claimed the interaction led to them having sex — but when she started “sobbing in pain” because it was her first time, he allegedly said they needed to “break her in” instead of asking her if she wanted to stop. “I didn’t want to do it,” she wrote, claiming that she dissociated during the experience and was in shock. “He made me think this is how sex was supposed to be. I was so young, and he knew that.”
She also claimed he told her how she would be “such a beautiful young lady” once she’s older and asked her to send nude photos as well as invite her friends to have a threesome with them. Gabby explained she’s been silent because Ansel allegedly said his actions could “ruin his career,” but after suffering through PTSD and panic attacks, she’s ready to speak up. “I just want to heal and tell other girls who have been through the same s–t as me, ‘You’re not alone.’”
Gabby claimed she “knows she’s not alone” and alleged the Fault in Our Stars actor has “done this to other girls” as well. In an additional tweet, she shared a photo of their initial DM as well as a Snapchat picture they took together. The screenshot of the DM is dated December 21, 2014, when Ansel was 20 years old. Just one day following Gabby’s allegations, her Twitter account appears to have been deleted.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
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