Actor Jena Malone, who starred as Johanna Mason in The Hunger Games franchise, took fans by shock when she posted on Wednesday that she was sexually assaulted during the production on one of the films. The actor posted on her Instagram and shared how she had held back about the 'traumatic event' until now and is ready to make peace with herself. (Also read: Jennifer Lawrence says she lost sense of control post Hunger Games success: 'I became such a commodity...')
Jena posted a picture of herself standing in a filed filled with sunshine and detailed about her journey in the caption, adding a trigger warning in the beginning. "This photo was taken right after I wrapped mocking Jay part two and I had to say goodbye to everyone on set. We were shooting in a beautiful estate in the countryside of France and I asked the driver to let me out in this field so I could cry and capture this moment. Even tho this time in Paris was extremely hard for me , was going thru a bad break up and also was sexually assaulted by someone I had worked with," she wrote in the caption.
The actor further added that it has been tough to move past that episode but she had sought 'restorative justice' for the matter. Jena said, "I was so full of gratitude for this project, the people I became close with and this amazing part I got to play. A swirling mix of emotions im only now just learning to sort thru. I wish it wasn’t tied to such a traumatic event for me but that is the real wildness of life I I guess. How to hold the chaos with the beauty. I’ve worked very hard to heal and learn thru restorative justice , how to make peace with the person who violated me and make peace with myself. It’s been hard to talk about the hunger games and Johanna Mason [her character] without feeling the sharpness of this moment in time but I’m ready to move thru it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt. Lots of love to you survivors out there. The process is so slow and non linear. I want to say im here for anyone who needs to talk or vent or open uncommunicated spaces within themselves. Please dm me if you need a safe space to be heard."
{{/usCountry}}The actor further added that it has been tough to move past that episode but she had sought 'restorative justice' for the matter. Jena said, "I was so full of gratitude for this project, the people I became close with and this amazing part I got to play. A swirling mix of emotions im only now just learning to sort thru. I wish it wasn’t tied to such a traumatic event for me but that is the real wildness of life I I guess. How to hold the chaos with the beauty. I’ve worked very hard to heal and learn thru restorative justice , how to make peace with the person who violated me and make peace with myself. It’s been hard to talk about the hunger games and Johanna Mason [her character] without feeling the sharpness of this moment in time but I’m ready to move thru it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt. Lots of love to you survivors out there. The process is so slow and non linear. I want to say im here for anyone who needs to talk or vent or open uncommunicated spaces within themselves. Please dm me if you need a safe space to be heard."
{{/usCountry}}Jena also responded to comments that asked why she chose not to name the person who assaulted her, and said that she did so because of the recent rise of “cancel culture” where she is unable to “fully see how the criminal justice system could fully repair my healing.”