Florence Pugh Speaks Out on Horrific Cornell Sexual Assault Case, Calls on Men to Stand Up & Sends Message to Jane Doe | Just Jared

Florence Pugh has released a lengthy statement about the alleged events at Cornell University in 2024.

Trigger warning: sexual violence.

Seven men are being accused of rape and drugging a former student, and the events were discovered by the public after she filed a lawsuit against the college. She was allegedly in attendance at a Chi Pi fraternity party when the reported crime occurred.

The woman, who has not been publicly identified, alleges she was assaulted for hours. Included in the lawsuit was a message that allegedly was sent by some of the accused, seemingly messaging about the act of violence.

Only two of the men she accused were expelled, and none were arrested or are in jail. There is talk that several of the men might have only had to write essays.

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Florence Pugh reacted to this horrific story with a lengthy statement on Instagram

Florence took to her Instagram to release a statement about this, as the story has gone viral across social media.

After reading about the young woman who was gang raped at her college by her friend and school peers, I’m feeling uneasy and sick and anxious. I’m processing quietly and watching everything and everyone and every man. I have a few thoughts on this horrific act that happened at Cornell College in 2024. 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?

A drugged gang rape takes action and conversations. It immediately makes me wonder- had it been in the works for a while? Was the damage of this poor woman’s body thought about over and over before? Every single person who knew or heard about this happening, should be looked at with serious concern. They are as evil as those planning it. To know that a torture as violent as rape is about to happen ‘upstairs’ and not do ANYTHING ABOUT IT, is sick, cowardly and cold.

The thing that makes me most heartbroken, is it’s a want to kill a soul. This is a killing of a soul. Destroying of a body and killing of a soul. And they’ve been let off? All it takes is write a quick ‘I’m so sorry I raped a girl while she was drugged with my friends, we thought it would be fine?’ essay and you’re good to go! This is unacceptable.

We are not hard enough on those that want to damage human lives. I salute all those at the college that are fighting for that girl, exposing those boys and making life unbearably impossible to find joy during their terms. They should not be allowed to walk freely like the rest of us who treasure and care for souls.

Colleges/schools/universities repeatedly fail women around the world. You build men that get taught through time and time again that they can do extreme harm and that they won’t be harmed in return.

I’m no longer tired- I’m enraged by schools protecting boys, in fear of their futures being wrecked. What about the life that those girls then have to endure, with the knowledge that his reputation is more precious than her truth? Or to feel that no one with the power to do something cares that you were abused. It’s further soul-destroying.

Those that protect and lightly sentence men that rape and destroy, should be punished and watched closely. Why are you protecting someone that fiercely?

There is no equality until you respect our bodies. There is no equality until you stop damaging our souls. There is no equality until you let us live. There is no equality until we can say we feel safe. We are the life force of this earth, start ****ing protecting us. Be angry for us. Please.

Florence also included a caption to her post, with a message to the unidentified victim: “And if you are one of those shouting about this from the rooftops- thank you. Truly. This is a human issue, not a women’s issue. We are all involved. Men especially. Most importantly, to Jane Doe who bravely stood up to the despicable college that chose to do the wrong thing, you are so unbelievably powerful. So strong willed. And know that women everywhere are here to hold you and help you on your healing journey. Thank you for telling the world, we will do better.”

Posted To:Florence Pugh