Florence Pugh has spoken about feeling 'so much rage' over rape culture after questioning whether her Instagram post about the 'Cornell 7' case was censored. The Hollywood star, 30, addressed the issue while appearing on The View to promote her new Netflix series, East of Eden.
Pugh's Comments on The View
When asked by presenter Sara Haines about why she felt the need to 'speak up', the Marvel star responded that 'the fear' of rape is something that 'lives in our bodies'. She continued: '…When stories like this come out and it's really not picked up in the way that you hope it's picked up, it makes me feel scared, it makes me feel anxious, it made me feel so much rage.'
'I'm lucky enough to do what I do and I have a platform and I wanted to talk about it,' she added.
Background of the Cornell 7 Case
This week, a case involving a former Cornell University student who claimed she was 'drugged and gang raped' by seven fraternity house members in 2024 was reopened after she filed a civil lawsuit. The accused are Winston Lee, Scott Kretzschmar, Scott Norris, Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Gillio Lopes, and Diego Sarabia. They have not been charged and deny the allegations.
The details of the allegation have met with widespread outcry across the public and media, including high-profile figures from politicians to celebrities.
Pugh's Original Essay and Call to Men
Pugh joined the growing tide of outraged voices with a powerful essay calling on men to 'lead conversations' around 'rape culture'. Shortly after, she shared a story claiming neither she nor some of her followers could access the post. 'Am I being censored for talking about rape?' she questioned.
As she explained in her original post: 'This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us'. She urged them to take charge of discussions 'about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behaviour'.
'How can you expect us to trust that it's "not all men" when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?', she asked. Elsewhere, she wrote: 'We are not hard enough on those that want to damage human lives. I salute all those at college that are fighting for that girl, exposing those boys and making life unbearably impossible to find joy during their terms.'
Backlash Against Sunny Hostin
The discourse around this now-prominent case has been fierce and heated. The View co-host Sunny Hostin is facing mounting backlash after questioning the public naming and shaming of the accused who have, so far, had no charges filed against them.
