Ansel Elgort, 26, has broken his silence over a claim that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl in 2014. “I was distressed to see the social media posts about me that have been circulating in the past 24 hours,” he wrote in a lengthy statement, composed in Apple’s Notes and posted via Instagram on Saturday, June 20. The statement comes in response to a woman who accused the Fault In Our Stars actor of sexual assault days after she turned 17 via Twitter on Friday, June 19.
“I cannot claim to understand Gabby’s feelings but her description of events is simply not what happened. I have never and would never assault anyone,” he wrote, denying the woman’s allegations. He went on to confirm that he does know the woman and that the two had engaged in a “consensual” relationship. “What is true is that in New York in 2014, when I was 20, Gabby and I had a brief, legal and entirely consensual relationship. Unfortunately, I did not handle the breakup well. I stopped responding to her, which is an immature and cruel thing to do to someone,” he wrote.
“I know this belated apology does not absolve me of my unacceptable behavior when I disappeared,” Ansel — who has been dating girlfriend Violetta Komyshan, 23, for several years — continued. He went on to apologize, and acknowledge he has “learned” from the experience. “As I look back at my attitude, I am disgusted and deeply ashamed of the way I acted. I am truly sorry. I know I must continue to reflect, learn, and work to grow in empathy,” he concluded the post.
The woman — who only identified herself as Gabby — has since deleted the Twitter account where she posted her accusation. In her post, she explained that she first contacted the West Side Story actor via DM and that he responded with the handle for his personal SnapChat account and a request for nude photos. Upon meeting him, she alleges that Ansel sexually forced himself on her “instead of asking me if I wanted to stop having sex knowing it was my first time.”
She also wrote that he said, “‘we need to break you in'” and that she “disassociated” herself and “couldn’t leave” as she was only 5’2″ and 98 pounds. “I WAS SO YOUNG AND HE KNEW THAT,” she wrote, adding that “years later I have PTSD, I have panic attacks I go to therapy,” but that she is “ready to talk about it and finally heal…and I want other girls who have been through the same s–t as me, you’re not alone. It’s a lot for me to even come on here and tell my story but I know it’s needed.”