'Hunger Games' actress Jena Malone says she was sexually assaulted by someone she worked with
Actress Jena Malone, known for portraying Johanna Mason in "The Hunger Games" franchise, as well as her roles in "Pride and Prejudice," "Stepmom" and more, is sharing what she says happened to her as a victim of sexual assault.
In an Instagram post, Malone shared a photo of herself in a field in France from when she'd wrapped work on 2015's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part Two." In her caption in which she described her experience, Malone claims that she was sexually assaulted by someone she worked with.
"We were shooting in a beautiful estate in the countryside of France and I asked the driver to let me out in this field so I could cry and capture this moment," Malone began, mentioning the story behind the photo.
"Even tho this time in Paris was extremely hard for me, was going thru a bad break up and also was sexually assaulted by someone I had worked with, I was so full of gratitude for this project," she said. "The people I became close with and this amazing part I got to play."
"A swirling mix of emotions im only now just learning to sort thru," Malone continued. "I wish it wasn't tied to such a traumatic event for me but that is the real wildness of life I guess. How to hold chaos with the beauty."
Despite what she said happened, Malone, who did not specify whether the person who sexually assaulted her worked on "Hunger Games," said she has "worked very hard to heal and learn thru restorative justice." She also said that she's made "peace with the person who violated me and make peace with myself."
According to the European Forum for Restorative Justice, restorative justice is described as "an approach of addressing harm or the risk of harm through engaging all those affected in coming to a common understanding and agreement on how the harm or wrongdoing can be repaired and justice ahieved."
"I used restorative justice to allow healing and accountability and growth with the other person," Malone said in response to a comment on the post. "It was a hard process but one I believe truly helped me move thru some of the hardest parts of the grief."
One of the practice's core elements, according to the EFRJ, is the "participation of the victim, the offender, and possibly other parties, such as the community, to voluntarily come together with the help of a facilitator to address the harm and its consequences."
In a response to another comment, Malone explained that she did a lot of online research in her road to healing.
"It wasn't perfect and I'm sure I could have used the help of the many teachers out there who practice restorative justice in mediation settings," she said. "I felt I needed to do it alone I guess."
In her post, Malone added that talking about "The Hunger Games" film and her character, Johanna Mason, has been hard "without feeling the sharpness of this moment in time," but that she is "ready to move thru it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt."
Malone ended her post by saying that she wants to be there for those who share the same experience.
"I want to say im here for anyone who needs to talk or vent or open uncommunicated spaces within themselves," she said. "Please dm me if you need a safe space to be heard."
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
