Content warning: sexual assault.
You may remember Jena Malone from starring in mainstream and independent films like Stepmom, Donnie Darko, and Saved!. Then, her highest-grossing film role was when she played Johanna Mason in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and continued that role for Mockingjay Part 1 & 2. But a startling revelation recently occurred, as Malone admitted that during her Hunger Games experience, she was sexually assaulted by a co-worker. Whats more, she's worked “very hard” on the healing process in the years since.
As you can see in her Catching Fire portrait, Jena Malone played the fierce and honest Johanna Mason who survived the Hunger Games once only to be brought back in during the 75th Quarter Quell. This talented actress revealed on Instagram she went through a tragic ordeal during filming when she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed co-worker. She tells her own story down below:
The Hunger Games franchise was filmed before the #MeToo movement when Kevin Spacey was accused of making advances toward Anthony Rapp when he was just 14, and when Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of multiple counts sexual assault. Now more people in the industry seemingly have found the courage in telling their stories of the sexual assault they’ve experienced on the set of movies and TV projects. The response that Malone received online has been incredibly supportive. Some fans also found the strength to reveal themselves as survivors of sexual assault as well, revealing a deep understanding of her tough journey toward healing. One person commented on how similar the Saved! actress was to her character in being brave and strong no matter how afraid she was. Clearly Malone's words and roles have really resonated with people.
Another person who provided a comforting post to Jena Malone was her Hunger Games co-star Willow Shields who played Katniss’ sister Prim. While Shields mentioned Malone's post had her at a “loss for words,” she hopes that she one day becomes okay through this slow process. As for what the process was towards healing, the Donnie Darko star hasn’t said specifically what that entailed. She revealed to one of her commentators that she was not in that place right now to explain in full what she's been doing, but that one day she’ll try.
A few curious people on Instagram did express they wished they knew who the particular Hunger Games co-worker was that Jena Malone was referring to. When one person commented that they felt this person walked away without any repercussions, Malone disagreed with that. The 38-year-old actress explained she used a process called “restorative justice” to heal herself from harm which moved her towards the hardest parts of grief compared to “outing” someone through cancel culture.
Jena Malone is incredibly brave in being able to share her story with the public. My heart goes out to her as she gets the healing she’s been seeking. You can watch this Golden Globe-nominated actress’s performance in The Hunger Games franchise currently on your Netflix subscription.
