In een nieuw interview met onze Hearst-collega's van Cosmopolitan.com reageert Gossip Girl-actrice Jessica Szohr op de beschuldigingen die lopen tegen haar voormalige collega en ex Ed Westwick. De twee waren tijdens het filmen van Gossip Girl twee jaar een koppel en bleven ook na hun breuk goede vrienden. Uit haar reactie blijkt dan ook hoe lastig het voor haar is om achter haar vriend te blijven staan, zonder de slachtoffers in een hoek te duwen.

Jessica Szohr laat weten dat ze met Ed heeft gesproken sinds de beschuldigingen zijn gemaakt — die hijzelf fel ontkent — en zegt dat het een 'moeilijk onderwerp' is:

'It's a difficult subject right now for anyone that's involved on either side… I don't even really know how to answer it, if I should, because I don't want anything to get twisted, because I have known Ed for years and know how lovely he is, and don't think he would ever put someone in a position like that.'

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Ze vervolgt:

'It's difficult, because you don't want someone you know to go through that or do that to someone, or knowing them well, knowing that you don't think they would, and you don't want, for the girls that are coming forward, it's like, are they stretching the truth? It's just, it's a touchy, tough thing that you pray it's not true and that with, outside of even him, all these different topics coming up, I'm glad that there's notice being put on it for women that are going through it. But I also think it's a touchy, crazy thing too, because some people are going into these different situations and they're not coming out true. So it's like, well, why are people making it up, because that takes away from the girls that are going through it. And then it's also hard to go back and try to get evidence from things that were so long ago. So, I'm really trying to answer this as open and nicely as I can, because it is touchy, and I obviously for any of these situations, wasn't there, for either side, so I can't say it did or didn't happen.'

Jessica laat verder weten dat ze zich niet kan voorstellen dat Ed zoiets heeft gedaan, maar dat ze ook de slachtoffers geen leugenaars wil noemen:

'I know him well and I've known him for years, and I found it shocking. And I hope that it's untrue, but I also feel bad for anyone that's been in that situation, for the women that have to deal with that, for the situations that are true. [...] I don't know those girls at all, and they could be lovely and awesome and all that. From the Ed I know and working with him for five years and having a friendship through all of that and after, it was shocking. It was shocking.'

Verder laat de actrice weten dat Ed momenteel flink in zak en as zit:

'I mean, he's going through a difficult time. He's being accused of something that he's publicly saying he didn't do. So it's, you know, tough on him. His show got canceled. You know, he's like, "The truth will come out and hopefully people see that and hopefully that's it." It's just such an unfortunate thing all around. And I have to be so careful, because it's not my situation and I don't — I wasn't there. So it's hard to speak on behalf of those girls or him.'

Lastige positie

Dichter bij huis kreeg Katja Schuurman onlangs nog flink wat kritiek over zich heen toen ze het opnam voor goede vriend Job Gosschalk, de Nederlandse producer/regisseur en eigenaar van Kemna Casting die beschuldigd wordt van flink wat seksueel-misbruikzaken.

Zo blijkt nogmaals dat het voor vrienden en familieleden van de beschuldigden knap lastig is om een positie in te nemen. Komiek Sarah Silverman kreeg van velen een staande ovatie toen ze het had over de beschuldigingen tegen haar goede vriend Louis C.K.. Ze schuwde het onderwerp niet (zoals velen mede-komieken wel deden in Amerika) en kwam met een eerlijk en krachtig betoog:

'One of my best friends of over 25 years, Louis C.K., masturbated in front of women. He wielded his power with women in f—ed up ways, sometimes to the point where they left comedy entirely. I could couch this with heartwarming stories of our friendship and what a great dad he is, but that's totally irrelevant, isn't it? Yes, it is. It's a real mindf—, because I love Louis. But Louis did these things. Both of those statements are true. So I just keep asking myself, "Can you love someone who did bad things? Can you still love them?" I can mull that over later certainly, because the only people that matter right now are the victims. They are victims and they are victims because of something he did. So I hope it's OK that I am, at once, very angry for the women he wronged and the culture that enabled it, and also sad, because he's my friend. But I believe with all my heart that this moment in time is essential. It's vital that people are held accountable for their actions, no matter who they are. We need to be better. We will be better. I can't f—ing wait to be better.'

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Omdat de zaken tegen Ed Westwick nog lopen en hij alles ontkent, is het voor Jessica Szohr een stuk lastiger om een duidelijke mening aan te nemen. Tegen Cosmopolitan.com laat ze dan ook weten dat ze bang is om een duidelijk statement te maken:

'I mean, from the person I know, I find it shocking, because I can't see him doing that to someone. And it's a tough thing because I wasn't there for those situations and I don't know. But if you're asking me "Do I think he would do that to someone?" No, I don't. But was I there? No. I'm so sorry, I'm trying to answer it in a way — this could get very sticky if this gets printed and my words get twisted, it's not gonna be great.'