After several big names of Hollywood have been outed for sexual assault, actress Kristina Cohen has spoken up about an incident that happened to her three years ago, involving Ed Westwick. However, Westwick has since denied her claims.
In a Facebook post, Cohen alleged that the British actor has raped her, sharing details of a time she visited him at his apartment three years ago. Westwick responded to the claims in an Instagram post last night saying he did not know the woman making the allegations.
Sharing a blank image with text on it, he wrote: “I do not know this woman. I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape.”
A post shared by Ed Westwick (@edwestwick) on Nov 7, 2017 at 8:46am PST
Westwick’s girlfriend Jessica Michel also denied the allegations made against him by sharing a simple “bulls**t” sign on Instagram with the caption: “Nah, thanks mate. l ain’t havin any of that.”
Nah, thanks mate. l ain’t havin any of that.
A post shared by Jessica Michél Serfaty (@jessicamichel) on Nov 7, 2017 at 6:27pm PST
According to Cohen’s post, she and her producer boyfriend – who’s friends with the actor – were visiting Westwick at his apartment when he suggested they should “all f**k”. Cohen wanted to leave but her boyfriend didn’t want to make “Ed feel awkward by leaving”.
Cohen was tired after their uncomfortable dinner, so Westwick suggested she take a nap in the guest bedroom. Cohen then recalls waking up to find the actor on top of her:
“I was woken up abruptly by Ed on top of me, his fingers entering my body. I told him to stop, but he was strong. I fought him off as hard as I could but he grabbed my face in his hands, shaking me, telling me he wanted to f**k me. I was paralysed, terrified. I couldn’t speak, I could no longer move. He held me down and raped me.”
As if that wasn’t enough of a traumatising experience, her producer boyfriend blamed her and told her to keep quiet about the incident.
Cohen says that she felt unsure about sharing her story, but she hopes that coming forward “will help others to know that they are not alone, that they are not to blame, and it is not their fault”.
Read Cohen’s full statement below:
