Jena Malone Reveals She Was Sexually Assaulted During 'Mockingjay Part 2'
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Jena Malone Reveals She Was Sexually Assaulted During 'Mockingjay Part 2'

by Anyu Ching

CW: This article contains mention of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.

On Wednesday, Jena Malone shared a photo on Instagram of her standing in the middle of a field in the French countryside.

It was taken right after shooting for the final installment in The Hunger Games film series had ended and Malone “asked the driver to let [her] out in this field so [she] could cry and capture this moment.

The attached caption — which was preceded by a trigger warning — revealed that the 38-year-old actress was sexually assaulted on the set of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 by a coworker.

Malone, who played Johanna Mason, first appeared in the popular young adult franchise in the sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and quickly became a fan favorite due to her character’s no-bullshit attitude and spunky personality. However, it has been extremely difficult for Malone to speak about The Hunger Games movies and her character “without feeling the sharpness of [that] moment in time.”

“I wish it wasn’t tied to such a traumatic event for me,” Malone wrote. “[I] was going thru a bad break up and also was sexually assaulted by someone I had worked with.”

Fellow Hunger Games stars have expressed their support for Malone, with Willow Shields (who played Primrose Everdeen in the series) commenting, “This post has me at a loss of words. I understand and I hope that though the process is so slow you are okay Jena.”

Stef Dawson, who played the role of Annie Cresta in the final two films, also left a comment for the Consecration actress: “I’ve said this to you but want to say it here too, you are a beautiful brave soul. I treasured this day, this moment on our spontaneous stop in this Parisian field on the way home, but so deeply sorry this time was full of such heartache and complexity for you. Sending you love and support, then, now, and always.”

Malone did not name the alleged assaulter in the post and claimed, in replies to various users, that she does not “fully see how the criminal justice system could fully repair [her] healing” nor is she interested in “the traditional cancel like culture that has been created.”

The actress opted instead for a “system of repairing harm” called restorative justice in order “to allow healing and accountability and growth with the other person.” She admitted that it had helped her “move thru some of the hardest parts of the grief” and taught her “how to make peace with the person who violated [her] and make peace with [her]self.”

“This process is so slow and non linear,” Malone added. “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 [I’m] only now just learning to sort thru… but I’m ready to move thru it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt.”

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, contact RAINN via chat or phone at 800-656-4673 for support and resources.

Photo via Getty/ Jeremy Chan