Dame Angela Lansbury has spoken out over the backlash she faced regarding comments she made about sexual harassment in the film industry earlier this week.
The ‘Murder, She Wrote’ actress was heavily criticised for remarks she made which appeared to suggest that women “must sometimes take the blame” when asked about sexual misconduct in Hollywood, stating: “We have to own up to the fact women, since time immemorial, have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive.
“And unfortunately it has backfired on us, and this is where we are today. We must sometimes take blame.”
Adding that there was “no excuse” for sexually inappropriate behaviour, she added: “Should women be prepared for this? No, they shouldn’t have to be... And I think it will stop now - it will have to. I think a lot of men must be very worried at this point.”
In response to the criticism she’s been at the centre of, Dame Angela has now issued a statement, in which she clarifies her true feelings on the subject, and suggests that her comments had been “brutishly… taken out of context”.
She explained: “There is no excuse whatsoever for men to harass women in an abusive sexual manner. And, I am devastated that anyone should deem me capable of thinking otherwise.
“Those who have known the quality of my work and the many public statements I have made over the course of my life, must know, that I am a strong supporter of Women’s Rights.
“Lastly, I would like to add that I am troubled by how quickly and brutishly some have taken my comments out of context and attempted to blame my generation, my age, or my mindset, without having read the entirety of what I said.”
As well as a social media backlash, Dame Angela’s comments were blasted by the organisation Rape Crisis England and Wales.
The veteran star is currently gearing up for a role in the BBC’s new adaptation of ‘Little Women’, as well as a small role in the upcoming Disney sequel, ‘Mary Poppins Returns’.