'Gossip Girl' Star Jessica Szohr 'Shocked' by Ed Westwick Rape Allegations
Unlike Lena Dunham who immediately came to her friend "Girls" writer Murray Miller's defense when he was accused of rape, Jessica Szohr who starred alongside alleged sexual harasser Ed Westwick in "Gossip Girl" is not.
Szohr admits to being "shocked" about the accusations when they surfaced, pointing out that the Ed she knows is not capable of sexual assault. On the other hand, she said, "I have to be so careful, because it's not my situation and I don't — I wasn't there. So it's hard to speak on behalf of those girls or him."
The actress said that she has spoken to Westwick since three women came forward and accused him of sexual assault.
"He's going through a difficult time," Szohr told Cosmopolitan of their meeting. "He's being accused of something that he's publicly saying he didn't do. So it's, you know, tough on him. His show got canceled. You know, he's like, 'The truth will come out and hopefully people see that and hopefully that's it.' It's just such an unfortunate thing all around."
As previously reported, actress Kristina Cohan, model Aurelie Wynn, and creative producer Rachel Eck accused Westwick of making unwanted sexual advances.
Westwick has denied the allegations and is currently cooperating with the Los Angeles Police Department after reports were filed against him.
Following the accusations, BBC has decided to suspend their high-profile Agatha Christie adaptation "Ordeal by Innocence," wherein Westwick plays Mick Argyll, an adopted son of murdered Rachel Argyll. The drama was supposed to premiere on Boxing Day.
Additionally, filming for "White Gold," which Westwick also stars in, has been halted while the actor deals with the allegations. The comedy also features "About Time" actor Bill Nighy, "Downton Abbey" alum Matthew Goode, and "Poldark" star Eleanor Tomlinson.
