Westworld Actor Evan Rachel Wood and Others Pile On Kobe Bryant Shortly After His Death
Shortly after the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and other passengers, Twitter erupted with mentions and Tweets honoring the incredible basketball player.
But not everyone took the opportunity to remember a legend. Westworld actor Evan Rachel Wood and a number of other reporters and blue checkmarked users decided that it was an appropriate time to call the recently passed Kobe Bryant “a rapist.”
Related: Westworld Star Evan Rachel Wood: “Mandatory Vasectomies Until You Want to Have Children”
Wood wrote on Twitter, “What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe’s family. He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist. And all of these truths can exist simultaneously.”
What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe’s family.
He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist.
And all of these truths can exist simultaneously.— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) January 26, 2020
After receiving some backlash for her tweet, Wood would defend herself in a follow-up tweet.
She wrote, “Beloveds, this was not a condemnation or a celebration. It was a reminder that everyone will have different feelings and there is room for us all to grieve together instead of fighting.”
Wood then had the nerve to add, “Everyone has lost. Everyone will be triggered, so please show kindness and respect to all.”
Beloveds, this was not a condemnation or a celebration. It was a reminder that everyone will have different feelings and there is room for us all to grieve together instead of fighting. Everyone has lost. Everyone will be triggered, so please show kindness and respect to all.
— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) January 27, 2020
Related: Westworld Star Evan Rachel Wood Attacks Stranger Things’ Jim Hopper
Wood would not be the only person to bandwagon against Kobe Bryant.
Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez shared a story from The Daily Beast entitled: “Kobe Bryant’s Disturbing Rape Case: The DNA Evidence, the Accuser’s Story, and the Half-Confession,” shortly after the announcement of his death.
VitoGeusaldi took a screenshot of the now-deleted Tweet that details the case in which Byrant was accused of raping a woman back in 2003:
Kobe’s body isn’t even cold yet, and Washington Post reporter @feliciasonmez has already posted an article calling him a rapist.
Modern journalism is sick. pic.twitter.com/wWa92YLVHv
— PIZZA KING 💰💰💰 (@VitoGesualdi) January 26, 2020
The Washington Post quickly placed the reporter on “administrative leave” shortly after her deletion of the Tweet, citing possible violation of their social media policy.
Austin based author Lauren Hough also took to Twitter to call Byrant a rapist.
Lauren stated, “In before the eulogies begin: Kobe Bryant was a f****** rapist.”
In before the eulogies begin: Kobe Bryant was a fucking rapist.
— Lauren Hough (@laurenthehough) January 26, 2020
Hough would then post a series of tweets arguing her point about Bryant.
He was though. https://t.co/vYQegKo9vS
— Lauren Hough (@laurenthehough) January 26, 2020
Because he leaked her name and she was was scared to testify. If you don’t understand why, just scroll through my mentions right now. https://t.co/2vOljopvyW https://t.co/baIOQG2ovX
— Lauren Hough (@laurenthehough) January 26, 2020
“Why now? Let people mourn.”
How do you think rape victims feel when they have to watch, once again, a predator being deified because he was good at something, seemed like a nice guy, had a family?
— Lauren Hough (@laurenthehough) January 26, 2020
She would then put Twitter under protected mode, though the Tweets are archived here. As of writing, she has made her tweets public again.
I hate going private cause it makes them feel like they’ve won but I need to finish a book and I can’t spend all day reporting people who’ve decided to honor their hero by threatening to rape my dog, and losing their twitter accounts. So, private it is.
— Lauren Hough (@laurenthehough) January 27, 2020
Kobe Bryant was never found guilty of sexual assault. The case against him was eventually dropped.
Bryant did issue a statement after the charges were dropped in 2004 where he apologized to the woman who accused him and reiterated he believed the encounter between them was consensual.
The statement reads:
“First, I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure. I also want to apologize to her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colo.
The statement continued:
“I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.”
It concluded:
“I issue this statement today fully aware that while one part of this case ends today, another remains. I understand that the civil case against me will go forward. That part of this case will be decided by and between the parties directly involved in the incident and will no longer be a financial or emotional drain on the citizens of the state of Colorado.”
The civil case against Bryant was settled out of court.
As reported by the Catholic News Agency, Bryant would reiterate his innocence in an interview with GQ in 2015.
Kobe told GQ, “The one thing that really helped me during that process—I’m Catholic, I grew up Catholic, my kids are Catholic—was talking to a priest.”
He added, “It was actually kind of funny: He looks at me and says, ’Did you do it?’ And I say, ’Of course not.’ Then he asks, ’Do you have a good lawyer?’ And I’m like, ’Uh, yeah, he’s phenomenal.’ So then he just said, ’Let it go. Move on. God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle, and it’s in his hands now. This is something you can’t control. So let it go.’ And that was the turning point.”
While Wood and company quickly attacked Bryant after his death, others shared how Bryant was a devout Catholic and a family man.
Related: Artists Honor Kobe Bryant After His Tragic Passing
Reporter Wendy Burch wrote on Twitter, “I can confirm that Kobe Bryant, a devout Catholic, came to this church early Sunday morning to worship.”
I can confirm that #KobeBryant, a devout Catholic, came to this church early Sunday morning to worship. He was here between 6 and 7am…. just hours before the fatal crash. He came alone, as I am told he often did. #RIPMamba #KTLAmorningNews pic.twitter.com/SomluImxp3
— Wendy Burch (@goodnewswendy) January 28, 2020
ESPN reporter Elle Duncan also shared her story of Kobe Bryant, where she recalled his love being dad specifically a “girl dad.”
This one damn near broke me pic.twitter.com/hdAwOKBrWl
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) January 28, 2020
What do you make of Evan Rachel Wood’s comments following the death of Kobe Bryant?
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