Quentin Tarantino has apologised for his bizarre resurfaced comments regarding the 1977 rape of 13-year-old Samantha Geimer by film director Roman Polanski, admitting his words were “ignorant, and insensitive, and above all, incorrect.”
The resurfaced conversation occurred during a 2003 radio interview with Howard Stern, in which Tarantino argued the then 43-year-old Polanski “didn’t rape a 13-year-old” because Geimer “wanted to have it” and was “down to party” at the time.
After the remarks were rediscovered, Geimer said “I am not upset, but I would probably feel better if he realises now that he was wrong, after 15 years, after hearing the facts. Nobody has to be pissed off on my behalf. I’m OK.
“I know what happened. I do not need other people weighing in on what it’s like getting raped at 13.”
In his latest statement to IndieWire, Tarantino said “Fifteen years later, I realize how wrong I was. Ms. Geimer WAS raped by Roman Polanski.
“When Howard brought up Polanski, I incorrectly played devil’s advocate in the debate for the sake of being provocative. I didn’t take Ms. Geimer’s feelings into consideration and for that I am truly sorry.”
Tarantino had recently faced criticism for overseeing a stunt sequence on Kill Bill that left actor Uma Thurman hospitalised. The director later apologised to Thurman, calling the incident “the biggest regret of my life.”
Tarantino is currently working on film based on the 1969 Manson Family murders, in which Polanski’s wife Sharon Tate and several friends were killed by the followers of Charles Manson.
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