Rachel Zegler went in-depth on why she’s over addressing Ansel Elgort’s sexual abuse allegations. In ELLE‘s May issue, Zegler revealed just how painful the experience has been from her point of view. Calling the time following the allegations “some of the worst mental health days I’ve ever had,” Zegler said she felt partially robbed of her excitement awaiting the 2021 release of “West Side Story.”
Instead, Zegler told ELLE, “[I] was being held accountable [by the public] for accusations that not only had nothing to do with me but were made about a situation that was said to have occurred [five] years prior to when I had met and worked with this person.” Noting that she was only 17 when she met Elgort, Zegler was also hurt by what she viewed as the insincerity of some people, which she felt was “from a place of me having to answer for that, and not them actually caring about whether or not I was okay.” That said, Zegler extended some courteous thoughts to Elgort’s accuser, saying, “I cannot imagine what she had to go through… I don’t pretend to know.”
While one Twitter user dismissively wrote off Zegler as “attention-seeking,” another summed up the many supportive responses to her interview by writing, “People blaming Rachel Zegler for working with Ansel Elgort is insane … people blaming her for the actions of a grown man who she happened to costar with is just gross.”
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
