US Law Updates: Quentin Tarantino apologized for comments defending Roman Polanski and saying the 13-year-old girl 'wanted to' have sex

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Quentin Tarantino apologized for comments defending Roman Polanski and saying the 13-year-old girl 'wanted to' have sex

Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino apologized Thursday for defending filmmaker Roman Polanski in a 2003 interview with Howard Stern, in which he said the 13-year-old girl with whom Polanski had unlawful sex "was down with it."
Samantha Gailey, Polanski's victim, called Tarantino out after the interview resurfaced this week, saying of the director, "He was wrong. I bet he knows it."
Tarantino reportedly called Gailey to apologize and issued a statement on the matter.

Quentin Tarantino apologized Thursday for comments he made in a 2003 interview on The Howard Stern Show, in which he defended filmmaker Roman Polanski — who in 1977 pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old minor, Samantha Gailey.

On Thursday, Tarantino reportedly called Gailey to apologize and issued a statement to IndieWire, apologizing for his "cavalier remarks" in the interview.

"Fifteen years later, I realize how wrong I was. Ms. Geimer WAS raped by Roman Polanski," Tarantino wrote.

In the 2003 interview, Howard Stern asked Tarantino why Hollywood still embraced Polanski, "this mad man, this director who raped a 13-year-old."

"He didn’t rape a 13-year-old," Tarantino said in response. "It was statutory rape. ... He had sex with a minor. That’s not rape. To me, when you use the word rape, you’re talking about violent, throwing them down — it’s like one of the most violent crimes in the world. You can’t throw the word rape around. It’s like throwing the word 'racist' around. It doesn’t apply to everything people use it for."

When the show's cohost Robin Quivers added that Polanski was charged with giving drugs to Gailey, who "didn't want to have" sex with Polanski, Tarantino became more adamant in his defense, saying that Gailey "wanted to have it and dated the guy" and "was down with it."

Gailey called Tarantino out after the interview resurfaced this week, saying of the director's comments, "He was wrong. I bet he knows it."

Here is Tarantino's full apology statement:

"I want to publicly apologize to Samantha Geimer for my cavalier remarks on “The Howard Stern Show” speculating about her and the crime that was committed against her. 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.

So, Ms. Geimer, I was ignorant, and insensitive, and above all, incorrect.

I am sorry Samantha.

Quentin Tarantino"

Listen to the audio of the Howard Stern interview below: