Quentin Tarantino appears to defend Roman Polanski in resurfaced radio interview
Director Quentin Tarantino faces new criticism for controversial comments he made during an old radio interview that just resurfaced. In 2003, Tarantino defended fellow director Roman Polanski, who pled guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. The victim has said she was drugged and raped.
This audio surfaced just after Tarantino defended himself for persuading actress Uma Thurman to perform a stunt that left her badly injured about 15 years ago. In a radio interview with Howard Stern, Tarantino repeatedly appears to fault Polanski's young victim, reports CBS News' Jericka Duncan.
"I don't care what Quentin Tarantino thinks. I know what the truth is. He was wrong," Samantha Geimer said. The 54-year-old was just 13 when Polanski offered to take photos of her for a modeling shoot. About three weeks later, she says the then-43-year-old Polanski gave her alcohol and a quaalude before raping her.
"I believe it's rape," Howard Stern said in the interview. Tarantino replied, "I don't believe it's rape. I mean, not at 13. Not, not for these 13-year-old party girls."
Tarantino repeatedly argued that the girl was complicit.
Stern continued, "When you have sex with a 13-year-old girl, and you're a grown man...You know that that's wrong because she hasn't..."
"I'm not, look, she was down with it," Tarantino said.
"People have been saying what he said and worse since I was 13. So I've always had to deal with it," Geimer said.
Tarantino has recently apologized for his apparent mistreatment of actress Uma Thurman on the set of their movie "Kill Bill" and for largely ignoring Harvey Weinstein's pattern of alleged sexual abuse. Jezebel was tipped off to the Howard Stern audio by a reader.
"I think what surprised me was just how cavalier Tarantino was being," said Jezebel managing editor Madeleine Davies. "And I think we definitely see the hypocrisy in this apologia that's happening now."
Geimer says she's heartened that more people are listening to victims in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
"I think 'me too' is a good thing where we can have solidarity for each other," Geimer said. "The shoes have been on the other foot now where I'm shown sympathy and Roman's the monster."
Polanski fled to France in the late 70s. His lawyer tells CBS News Polanski regrets his actions and has apologized to Geimer, and he believes Tarantino's comments represent a misunderstanding of Polanski's conduct. Tarantino has not responded to our request for comment.
