Florence Pugh has urged men to speak out after a former student at Cornell University claimed she was drugged and gang-raped by seven members of a fraternity. The Hollywood actor said she was "enraged" after details of a civil lawsuit filed in New York emerged over the weekend - with none of the alleged perpetrators arrested.
Allegations against Chi Phi fraternity members
In August, a former student - who is known only as Jane Doe in all court documents - filed a report accusing seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of sexually assaulting her at the fraternity's house in October 2024. The group was barred at the university after the allegations but none of the individuals reported to be involved have faced criminal charges.
Actor's Instagram plea to men
In an Instagram post, the Dune actress wrote that she was feeling "uneasy and sick and anxious" after reading details about the allegations.
"I know this has happened before, and I hate the idea of it happening again. This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us. You need to be leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behaviour as much as we are."
"How can you expect us to trust that it's 'not all men' when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?"
Criticism of university response
Pugh also slammed the alleged disciplinary response of university officials described in the lawsuit, which stated that of the seven male students named in the filing, only two were expelled by Cornell.
"I'm no longer tired - I'm enraged by schools protecting boys, in fear of their futures being wrecked," she added. "There is no equality until we can say we feel safe. We are the life force of this earth, start f****** protecting us. Be angry for us. Please."
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed his office was reopening a criminal investigation into the case.
In a statement to The Independent, a Cornell spokesperson said: "Cornell University supports the decision of the Tompkins County District Attorney (DA) to provide an opportunity for the victim's story, in the 2024 Chi Phi fraternity Sexual Assault case, to be heard by a criminal grand jury.
"Cornell also conducted a thorough Title IX investigation, which is separate from a criminal proceeding, over the course of several months. During that investigation temporary suspensions and other restrictive measures were used. After investigation, and pursuant to federal law, the matter was sent to a hearing where a panel of trained faculty and staff heard evidence over multiple days.
"The complainant and respondents had the opportunity to testify and present evidence. At its conclusion, the hearing panel issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell. Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false."
