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Hollywood actress Demi Moore has revealed in her new memoirs that she was raped at just 15, according to The New York Times.

The star, now aged 56, will reportedly recount horrible details regarding the sexual attack in hew new book, Inside Out.

The autobiography will span from her troubling childhood to her hugely successful film career.

Moore will also describe what life was like while married to high-profile actors Bruce Willis and Ashton Kitcher, as well as raising her three daughters.

Demi described how penning the memoirs made her feel "very vulnerable" as she shared the intimate details about her life.

The US actress explained that the cathartic process was to help her "rediscover" herself; “It’s exciting, and yet I feel very vulnerable,” she told The New York Times .

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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“I had to figure out why to do this, because my own success didn’t drive me. It’s more of an awakening than a comeback."

Demi also revealed her secret heartbreak as she apparently blamed herself for suffering a miscarriage while dating Ashton Kutcher.

The Charlie's Angels actor admitted she lost a baby girl six months into her pregnancy when she was 42 back in 2005.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Demi and Aston remained together for another six years before they separated in 2011 and divorced a year later.

The Indecent Proposal star also documented her experience of balancing her Hollywood career with raising three daughters.

Demi shares 31-year-old Rumer, 28-year-old Scout and 25-year-old Tallulah with her ex-husband Bruce (now 64).

Feature image: Instagram/@demi_moore7

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Former JLS star Oritsé Williams has spoken out for the first time about being "tormented" by a rape accusation for the past three years.

The 32-year-old was accused of raping a fan in 2016 after a show in Wolverhampton, and was charged with the offence in September 2018.

The singer was unanimously cleared of rape in May of this year by a jury in Wolverhampton Crown Court after two hours and 17 minutes of deliberation.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The star spoke about his ordeal on Good Morning Britain today, revealing that he couldn't find work for the last three years;

"It's been horrific," digressed Oritsé. "I haven't been able to work for three years. I had this accusation hanging over my head every single day from when I woke up to when I went to sleep. It's just completely tormented me.

But I had two choices, let it drag me under and destroy me or stay strong and hope the truth would come out, which it eventually did," he continued.

"The worst moment has been the effect it's had on my family. I tried to protect my mother for the whole thing. When you’re in the public eye you can’t stop it."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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He added; "My family as so loving. I've had so much unconditional love and support from them all and my friends.

"Even now public and my fans have been amazing. Come out and openly supported me. It has been trial by social media."

Oritsé spoke about the sympathy he has for those who call for anonymity in rape trials, telling the GMB hosts;

"I absolutely would have wanted my name to get cleared as quickly a possible and move forward with my life with my family. We have to continue to encourage real victims to come forward. There has to be consideration on both sides."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Oritsé has been working on his song-writing while hiding from the spotlight over the last three years;

"I’ve had a lot of time on my hands over the last few years. I've been reconnecting as a song writer and immersing myself in my music. I believe I've written some of the best songs of my life in this period.

"I’ve poured my heart out into these songs, bled all over them. At some point when the time is right I want to share them with people."

Oritsé’s £3 million mansion burned down in a suspected arson attack only days after his acquittal.

Image: Twitter/@LondonFire

He had handed over the house to his ex-girlfriend after their break-up, but was still devastated by the arson attack;

"I had so many amazing memories there with my family and friends. Seeing what happened to somewhere I once loved was devastating. There’s an ongoing police investigation so hopefully we will get some answers."

Oritsé’s bandmate Marvin Humes said his friend is “getting his confidence back” after his acquittal, and the three-year ordeal ended in the “right result".

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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He told The Sunday Mirror: “He is working on himself at the minute and getting his confidence back. I have no doubt that whatever he goes into next, he will do great.

“He’s doing really well considering he has moved on from a terrible three years, a horrible three years, and he has come out the other side with the right result. He is getting on with his life and moving forward," Marvin added.

“One thing about us boys, everyone knows how close we are and we give each other support in any situation. We are like family.”

Feature image: ITV

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Gardaí in Cork are appealing for witnesses in relation to an investigation into an alleged serious sexual assault on a woman last Saturday, August 24. 

Gardaí wish to make contact with anyone who was in the Connolly Road or Vicars Road area between 4am and 7am on the morning of August 24, 2019 and noticed anything suspicious.

They are also appealing to possible motorists who may have dash-cam footage to please contact investigating Gardaí at the incident room at Togher Garda Station.

The incident allegedly occurred in the vicinity of Ballyphehane in Cork during the early hours of the Saturday morning.

Anyone with information are asked to contact the Togher Garda Station on 021-494712, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any local Garda station.

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Consent classes will be rolled out in secondary schools and sports clubs nationwide after the success of the college campus workshops.

The Irish Examiner has reported that the number of students attending the Smart Consent workshops in colleges skyrocketed by more than 600 percent, partly because of high-profile rape cases.

Pádraig MacNeela and Siobhán O’Higgins, from NUIG’s School of Psychology (who developed the workshops) said the programme has been altered to suit the age range of secondary school students.

Pádraig MacNeela spoke about the creation of the classes;

“We’ve started to redevelop workshops and test them out in schools, working with parents being on board and being the allies you want them to be.

“It’ll be the same type of conversation approach that has been happening in colleges, except there is a full redesign of materials to speak to school age, so far it seems to be a good fit," he added.

The proramme is set to launch in schools in early 2020, but several schools have already gone through the workshop. 

“We’ve worked with five or six schools so far, piloting the programme, where we have gone in to talk about consent," said Siobhán O’Higgins.

“It’s allowed us to see if this format, the workshop type programme, will work. We’ve been to schools in Limerick, Dublin, and Galway. We worked with parents first, it was actually the parents who wanted this in the schools and then the schools said they wanted it too.”

Sexual education in Irish secondary schools is taught under the relationships and sexuality education (RSE) programme, but varies hugely depending on the school.

The Department of Education and Skills have stated that every school can choose their own way of teaching the programme, which means that many students have received next to zero sex education.

What little sex education was offered in other schools solely touched on science, rather than contraception, consent and emotional relationships.

Siobhán O’Higgins has said that they must act strategically when choosing what schools receive the new workshop in 2020.

"There is no point going in and talking about consent in a school who haven’t had good RSE, with students who don’t understand their own bodies. Talking about consent like that is just adding on top of the confusion.

“Parents are afraid to talk to their children,” she said. “It’s very difficult now to be a parent. I do a bit of a workshop on consent with parents and we ask: ‘Was it consent?’ ‘Yes?’ ‘No?’ Sometimes it’s not always clear.”

More than 4,000 college students have taken the voluntary workshop since it first launched in 2015, which includes all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Consent is about respect and how we treat others, and many health professionals have said that the workshops need to reach younger people, before they hit college.

The programme makes sure to include the role of alcohol and drugs in consent. Organisers say they now plan to work with various networks and groups to reach young people aged 16 to 24-years-old.

A review of relationships and sexuality education is currently being carried out, with the draft report complete and open for public consultation until October 2019.

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Gardaí have gathered a list of names of those who they're trying to track down in Co. Kilkenny after three juvenile girls were sexually assaulted in Wexford last weekend.

Detectives believe that these individuals may have been directly involved in the attack or were with a number of men who carried it out on Sunday night. More than one man was apparently involved.

Gardaí are investigating claims that at least one 14-year-old girl was raped, and two other girls sexually assaulted. A specialist child interviewer has been hired to conduct the interviews.

A manhunt is ongoing in the Kilkenny area for a number of young men who Gardaí want to question about the attacks, which allegedly took place in the holiday town of Courtown Harbour, Co. Wexford.

The alleged incident happened shortly around midnight in the Burrow area, and the complainants are all young teenage girls. Gardaí are asking anyone who may have information to come forward.

The parents apparently reported to Gardaí that the girls were sexually assaulted on Sunday morning, and three girls made official statements to specialist officers. They were also brought to a sexual assault unit for treatment.

The girls are originally from the Dublin area, according to The Independent, and the attacks allegedly happened close to the beach in the north Wexford seaside village.

Gardaí were last night desperately trying to make contact with a number of suspects based in Kilkenny, and the area where the attacks allegedly happened were sealed off on Sunday while an exam took place.

"Each of the alleged victims was subjected to a different type of sexual assault," a senior source said last night.

"The alleged victims are fully co-operating with the investigation which is being treated in the most sensitive way," the source added.

Gardaí are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Burrow area between 10pm on Saturday night and 2am on Sunday morning who saw any suspicious behaviour to contact Gardaí in Gorey on 053 943 0690 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

Gardaí are not releasing any further information “due to the sensitive nature of the incident” but a senior source described the claims as 'credible'.

A garda spokesperson said: “Owing to the nature of the alleged incidents and ages of those involved we will not be commenting further at this time.” Enquiries are ongoing, but no arrests have been made so far in the case.

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The constant sharing of intimate images of women without consent shines a light on how women are seen in our society: things to be looked at, owned and consumed. Objects.

In the #MeToo era, naive groups of people often declare that the treatment of women as purely sexual objects for men to consume is long gone. Other groups say this treatment has never even existed, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Some even say women deserve their personal images shared without consent; if they took the picture in the first place, they were asking for it.

Following numerous incredibly painful rape cases in this country, healthcare scandals which throw female lives away and the Repeal movement, women have had to face emotional trauma in the Emerald Isle. Rape culture is alive and well in our society, yet most have been desensitised to it.

Every few days, a reminder rears its ugly head to show us what we can’t forget, to nudge us into submission and point out the fact that women today still have to protect ourselves at all times and we can’t forget it.

Today’s reminder comes from a Reddit page by the charming name of ‘Irish Sluts’. TheJournal.ie reported that a page was sharing intimate images of young women without their consent online, with sexually explicit commentary by the website’s users. No doubt derogatory language was chosen about the women’s body and appearance.

“The content includes portraits of families, social media posts, and images of women walking in public or in the gym, but there are also nude photographs taken in more intimate settings. Details of where the women live and where they attend college or school are also posted on the site,” it was reported, with the Garda Síochana confirming. Members of the group also made sure to request ‘nudes’ from counties all over the country, mentioning specific women by name.

One woman said that she was alerted about her image being used in the group when a male friend saw it in a WhatsApp chat and alerted her, she told TheJournal.ie. “I got a call from a friend of mine who said that my photo was being sent around lots of WhatsApp groups,” she said.

Speaking anonymously, the woman said she felt violated and “nearly got sick” when she discovered the Reddit page. The Gardaí can’t carry out much action unless you’re underage, and the advice is to actually contact the group itself to solve the matter. So essentially there is zero authority who can regain control over the private images of you and return them to the owner, making the internet an even more dangerous place.

This isn’t the first incident, of course, and it won’t be the last. ‘Revenge porn’ is alive and well; the habit of using sexually explicit images of an ex partner in order to use against them with malicious intent, such as posting them online or sending them to an employer.

A friend of another victim of this site told TheJournal.ie: “I’m not under any illusions that these types of things go on in parts of the internet, but this is very Ireland orientated and I can’t get my head around the fact that it happens so blatantly on a mainstream site like reddit that has businesses advertising on it, etc. People are posting personal details on some pictures, names, addresses, etc. It’s not sitting right with me that these girls can be put in this type of physical/mental danger without them knowing especially given some of the other things in the news cycle in the last few days.”

Brendan Howlin, Labour leader, has said that Ireland is extremely far behind when it comes to dealing with the issue of revenge porn. The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill aims for a six-month prison sentence upon conviction, but is still before the Oireachtas. While time is ticking, the internet is abusing images of women all over Ireland.

Literally the only law protecting against the distribution of images such as these without permission is contained in the Non Fatal Offences Against The Person Act. There is a subsection of this act which deals with harassment but no specific laws in place to guard against revenge porn or unconsensual sharing of personal or explicit images.

What does this say about how the men of Ireland see us?

Most of us will be able to distinctly recall the infamous Belfast rape trial involving four Ulster Rugby players; Stuart Olding, Paddy Jackson, Rory Harrison and Blane McIlroy. Whether you were team I Believe Her or not, the language used in the WhatsApp group featuring the four men about the alleged victim and Irish women in general was beyond disturbing.

Image: JOE.ie

Toxic masculinity, entitlement and objectification reeks from texts such as these, but why does society continue to believe that wealthy, white, heterosexual young men with privilege are incapable of rape and sexual assault? They discuss women as sex objects for their fetishization, and why wouldn’t they go any further than that? Humiliation is the first step to dehumanise a person. Once someone is dehumanised enough, it becomes easier and easier to mistreat them.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The #UCD200 became a huge scandal that spawned an investigation after claims of a Facebook group involving 200 UCD students who were sharing nonconsensual sexually explicit images of women without their knowledge were made public. The investigation found no evidence, but one of the most noteworthy aspects of the incident was how easily believable it was. This happens to women every single day, I have lost count of friends who have had private and intimate images of themselves shared without their consent; myself included.

The language used by Irish men is mirrored in the sexual assault trials and courtrooms; the recent Cork case involving a young woman who accused a man of raping her in an alley had her underwear used as evidence against her. A female barrister held up a lacy thong, and claimed that only a woman who WANTED to have sex would wear something like that.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Women are often the ones tearing down fellow women with language; toxic femininity is alive and well. We have been taught to compete with each other to win the attention, the approval of men. 

The language used to describe women, to portray them as either seductive prostitutes or prudes, ‘sluts’ or nuns, feeds the narrative that what you wear, how much you drink, and your sexual past plays a part in your victimhood. You can’t be a victim if you were asking for it, according to the courts of this nation.

Acquittal doesn’t mean innocence, as anyone who has experienced the Irish sexual violence criminal justice system understands more than they should have to. Why wouldn’t Irish men speak of women in such terms, when they won’t ever have to experience any consequences? Why wouldn’t they join in the lad banter, the ‘locker room talk’ if it leads to a boost in their pride, their status, their brotherhood?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Words have power, they have meaning. Language leads to action, action leads to harm, and most of the time the harm is suffered by Irish women. Why? The patriarchy, toxic masculinity, rape culture; all of it allows Irish men to feel a level of invincibility which encourages them. In Dublin, many of the ‘elite’ schools are segregated by gender; men and women at a young age with privilege only interact on nights out, at school discos most of the time. With alcohol and not many clothes covering them, women are deemed as useless without their looks, but a woman who is sexually provocative is a ‘slut’, a ‘whore’, ‘asking for it’. We are presumed guilty until proven innocent, handed double standards we can never beat, and fear for our safety the second it turns dark, much to the obliviousness of men.

Of course, rape and sexual assault occur where men are the victims, and find it incredibly difficult to speak about or get help due to the culture of masculinity where being a victim is shamed. Only by spreading awareness, and actual facts as well as sexual consent training and sexual education can we reduce the horrifying statistics.

I was given a single self-defence class at school. Just one. The main thing it taught me was that in the instance of rape, you are to yell the word, ‘fire’, because only then will someone come to offer aid.

A viral post on Facebook by a user named Drew McKenna shared a passage from Jackson Katz’ book named The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help. A prominent social researcher, he decided to test his audience on the ways which they protect themselves on a daily basis from sexual assault. The results were alarming, but not surprising.

The reaction from the male side is especially interesting;

“He first describes the reaction on the male side. “At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they’ve been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, ‘I stay out of prison.’ This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, “Nothing. I don’t think about it.'”

Of course, the women could talk all day about how they defend themselves from the threat of rape or sexual assault. “As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine.” The replies were then arranged into a list, contrasting with the male answers. From holding your car keys between your fingers, never leaving drinks unattended, using a male voice on an answering machine, not wearing headphones in public, not using car parks or parking in dimly lit areas, not meeting a man in private on dates- it paints a horrible picture of the normality of female self-protection, and the total lack of awareness from the male point of view. More men than I can say have refused to walk me home, brought me a drink without watching what men around him were doing to it, spoken in a disgusting manner about women; all without realising that they were causing harm.

All men believe they are good.

“I moved on her like a b****, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married. “I did try and f*** her.”

“You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.”

Many Irish men like to believe that Donald Trump is an anomaly, something to be laughed at, not feared. Irish women know better. The vast majority of us can report that we’ve been sexually harassed, one-in-four of us will report being sexually assaulted compared to one-in-71 men. A report by Union of Students Ireland (USI) in 2013 found that 1 in 7 people will experience some form of unwanted sexual contact during their time in college. The reports of femicide this year are equally terrifying, with the majority of cases occurring where the perpetrator was a husband, boyfriend or partner of the woman killed. 

The line between harassment and assault is easily crossed. Words are just the beginning.

Feature image; Everyday Feminism

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Nearly 1,000 people in Ireland were treated in sexual-assault units in 2018, according to new data. 

This is a shocking increase of almost 10 percent in 2017, which is quite the jump. 20 children under the age of 14-years-old were treated after sexual assaults last year alone.

Ireland has six sexual-assault treatment units, where people may present themselves after an attack.

The sexual-assault treatment units are located in hospitals in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Mullingar, Waterford and Letterkenny.

There were 865 presentations at the six units in 2017, but this rose to 941 in 2018 according to the latest details released under the Freedom of Information Act.

In Mullingar Regional Hospital, 203 sex-assault victims were treated in 2018 alone, which is a worrying 17 percent increase.

Noeline Blackwell, the chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, isn't taken aback by the sharp increase across the nation.

"People are more ready to recognise that these are units which are specifically dedicated to dealing with victims of sexual assault," she said.

"You don't have to be referred there by the Gardaí, people don't even have to have an examination for court purposes there if they don't want to but they certainly will get the medical help that they need and a recognition of the trauma of the sexual assault as well."

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre recently called for increased funding to deal with the "epidemic of sexual violence" in the country. In 2018, 13,949 people contacted the organisation.

This means that around 270 people per week contact the 24-hour helpline, with over 13,300 calls every year.

94 percent of people treated in Ireland's six units last year were women, with 6 percent being men.

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Diageo, the legendary company behind Guinness, has officially cancelled its sponsorship of London Irish Rugby Club over their choice to sign former Ulster and Ireland out-half Paddy Jackson.

We all remember the rugby star after the infamous and harrowing Belfast rape trial of last year, where he was acquitted. Three other men who had been charged in relation to the incident were also acquitted.

Stuart Olding and Jackson both had their contacts cancelled in the wake of the trial, after their Whatsapp messages showed vile, misogynistic language about women involved in allegedly consensual sex acts with them.

Seeing as London Irish markets themselves as a family club, we're not surprised fans were angry when a man who discusses 'spit roasts' and says phrases like, "Any sluts get f*cked?" was signed on to play for them.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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In a statement to The Irish Times, Diageo said: “We have met with the club to express our concerns. Their recent decision is not consistent with our values and so we have ended our sponsorship.”

Diageo had recently said that it had "serious concerns" regarding Jackson's signing, but failed to reference the sponsorship deal, which has been in place for 27 years.

Another London Irish sponsor, Cash Converters, terminated its relationship with the club. On Twitter, the company said; “As a company, we are committed to the highest possible standards when it comes to our investments in any sponsorships and collaborations.

"As a result of a detailed and thorough review of our support for London Irish, we have decided to discontinue our association with the club.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Last night, London Irish said its management is “understandably disappointed that Diageo has chosen not to renew its sponsorship agreement with the club, and particularly the manner in which the company has chosen to do so”.

“The club has always respected the right for everyone to have an opinion, and their right to express that opinion,” the statement said.

“London Irish has been open and honest with all of its sponsors, including offering to meet Diageo’s senior management in Dublin in May, 2019. This offer was not taken up.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The management also said the club would move on “without the support of Diageo, who have chosen to stand down after a nearly 30-year association with the club”.

“It is regretful that this relationship has ended in the manner that it has,” the statement said. Declan Kidney, head coach at London Irish and former Ireland coach, signed Paddy Jackson and defended the decision last year;

“We are fully aware that there was a court case that Paddy was involved in but that has  been  dealt  with. What  has gone on in the past had gone on in the past and we are just trying to move on to the future."

Feature image: Instagram/@glenmoremanor

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This post contains spoilers regarding episode four of Game of Thrones, season eight.

The latest episode of the beloved HBO show has angered fans and celebrities alike, due to the racial insensitivity and disrespectful use of sexual violence as a storyline.

Sansa Stark experienced a hugely controversial plot point in season five; the horrific rape at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. In episode four, the Hound has a conversation with the new Lady of Winterfell and uses some gross language.

"I heard you were broken in. Broken in rough," he says, while sitting in HER HOUSE. Sansa replies by saying, "Without Littlefinger and Ramsay and the rest, I would have stayed a little bird all my life", she says.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Sansa explains to the Hound, who harassed her as Joffrey's former minion, that she is no longer afraid of him as she’s seen "much worse" since.

The Hound tells Sansa that none of the bad things, i.e. Ramsay Bolton and Littlefinger, would have happened to her if she had left King's Landing with him.

The problematic language grates on many fans, as the word 'rape' is never uttered and the Hound essentially blames Sansa here for her own assault. She was a child when she met the Hound, why would she leave anywhere with him?

Jessica Chastain, who co-stars with Turner in the upcoming Dark Phoenix film, has joined the chorus of critics. Chastain is a staunch supporter of the Times Up movement for equal pay and representation in Hollywood, and #MeToo is close to her heart.

The actor tweeted her displeasure at the show’s choice to use assault as a narrative device;

“Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger,” she wrote. “A woman doesn’t need to be victimized in order to become a butterfly. The little bird was always a Phoenix. Her prevailing strength is solely because of her. And her alone.” YAS QUEEN.

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Thank the Lord, Sansa escaped Ramsay alongside Reek/Theon Greyjoy and later gave him the gruesome death he deserved. I'm sure we all remember the hounds scene? Revenge is served COLD by the Starks.

After the backlash surrounding the rape scene in season five in 2016, writer-producer Bryan Cogman explained that the decision for Sansa to be raped on her wedding night by Ramsay Bolton was the only realistic narrative option. Rude?

He continued, "Yes, it would have been hugely satisfying for Sansa to have a shiv up her sleeve and gut Ramsay, but that’s not Sansa. We can’t all be Arya, most people in that situation, they have to play a longer game."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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That entire interview seems like a massive cop-out to us. The show clearly still has zero grasp of how to discuss sexual assault, as the Hound so callously proved.

Sonia Saraiya​​​​​​, an experienced Vanity Fair critic has elaborated on why the scene didn’t work for her. She explains that Sansa’s reaction to the Hound’s comment rang false for the character.

“She just sits there and takes it,” she writes. “It feels like a repudiation of both of their character arcs- and, as I have said again and again this season, a missed opportunity for growth and connection.”

Game Of Thrones Got Spoilers GIF

Sansa has yet to have her hero moment and regain revenge, but we're guessing it may be her who gets to put the final nail in Cersei's coffin? Just a theory. 

The show also received criticism for its treatment of people-of-colour, specifically regarding Missandei's death. Ava DuVernay, the iconic black female filmmaker, called the show out on Twitter for it's brutal killing of their sole woman-of-colour.

The lack of diversity is pretty noticeable, and the series rarely involves female directors.

Just five percent of the 73 total episodes were directed by women, and it comes across in the show's writing habits.

Namely on sexuality and assault as plot tools; it's rare that the female characters escape rape. DB Weiss and David Benioff, Y'all need to step up thy game in future, or you'll lose female viewers.

Don't shut out female writers, we have a lot to offer and deserve a seat at the table.

Feature image: Instagram/@sophietfan.belfast

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London Irish have just confirmed that Paddy Jackson has signed for their team ahead of the upcoming 2019/20 rugby season.

Jackson was acquitted of rape in the now-infamous Belfast case last year alongside Ulster team-mate Stuart Olding, and joined Perpignan last summer.

Both players had their national-team contracts revoked by the Irish Rugby Football Union after the social media storm surrounding offensive, misogynistic texts messages sent into a group chat.

Olding and Jackson were accused of embodying the middle-class toxic masculinity of the country through their sexually-degrading comments about women.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Jackson is now linking up with London Irish's director of rugby Declan Kidney and head coach Les Kiss, who both worked with him in their time in Ireland.

There's a history between them; Kidney awarded Jackson his first international cap back in 2013, while Kiss worked with the fly-half with both the Ireland national team and Ulster.

"Players of the calibre of Paddy Jackson do not become available very often and both myself and Les are looking forward to working with him in the future" Kidney said.

"He is a player with proven international quality who we feel will add value to our squad, and it is pleasing that Paddy sees London Irish as a part of his future."

Speaking on the move, Jackson said: "I’m delighted to be joining London Irish next season at such an exciting and pivotal time for everyone involved with the club. London Irish have a clear vision for where they want to be and I look forward to being part of it."

He apologised following the trial for his disrespectful conduct towards the woman who accused him of rape; "The criticism of my behaviour is fully justified and I know I have betrayed the values of my family and those of the wider public."

It will undoubtedly be interesting to see how the general Irish public respond to the latest controversial news. 

Feature image: Instagram/@_thesmokingjacket

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Two more women have come forward to accuse R&B singer R Kelly of sexual misconduct, dating back to when they were 15 and 16 years old.

The latest allegations are the newest in a string of claims against the singer going back three decades, spanning child pornography to sexual, emotional and physical abuse and holding women captive in a sex cult.

The duo spoke out against the notorious artist at a press conference with infamous women's rights lawyer Gloria Allred yesterday.

Both women allege that the sexual misconduct happened in 1995 after they attended an R Kelly and LL Cool J concert in Baltimore, Maryland.

One of the ladies said she was just 16 years old and living in the city when her and a 15-year-old friend, the other alleged victim, attended the concert.

They went to an after-party at a nightclub, and Kelly pointed to the two girls and asked his staff to put them onstage. They were also offered drugs and alcohol at the party, they claim.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The woman said Kelly asked the two girls to meet him in his hotel suite, and that he entered the room wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, with his penis “out and over the top of his pants”.

Apparently, Kelly asked both girls to dance and he ended up lying on the bed with them, telling them they could be in his next music video.

Next, the singer began touching the young woman's breast and genitals, and asked the pair to engage in a threesome. Her friend said no and went to the bathroom.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The woman said Kelly requested oral sex from her, which she did, and then he had sexual intercourse with her.

She had been under the influence of alcohol and marijuana that had been given to her at the after-party, and alleges she “did not have the capacity to consent”.

In Maryland, the age of consent is 16. The two women never saw R Kelly again.

Despite the huge range of allegations against the singer, his lawyer Steve Greenberg denied all accusations against Kelly, saying he has never knowingly had sexual relations with underage women.

Feature image: @dramaclubpod/Instagram

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Liam Neeson's racism controversy isn't showing any signs of dissipating, as the red carpet events before the New York premiere of his latest film have been cancelled.

Just one day after the interview was shared involving the actor describing his revenge plot against a "black b*astard" for the rape of his friend, the Cold Pursuit promotion has ended.

He went on Good Morning America yesterday to try and explain the remarks, which he made during an interview with The Independent, saying; “I’m not a racist.” 

His comments have been met with huge outrage since Monday, and has drawn condemnation from civil rights activists for their racist tones.

The Taken actor has said that the episode roughly occurred 40 years ago, after hearing that a close friend had been raped by a black assailant. 

“After that there were some nights when I went out deliberately into black areas in the city looking to be set upon so that I could unleash physical violence,” Mr. Neeson said. “And I did it for, I’d say, maybe four or five times.”

The interviewer on Good Morning America, Robin Roberts, who is African-American, told Mr. Neeson, “You have to understand the pain of a black person hearing what you said.”

Mr. Neeson replied: “You’re absolutely right, and at the time, even though it was 40 years ago, I didn’t think about that. All those things surprised me, but it was this primal hatred, I guess, that really, really shocked me when I eventually came down to earth and saw what I was doing — going out and looking for a fight.”

Yesterday's red carpet events, which would have allowed Mr. Neeson and his co-stars to talk to reporters, cameras and more questions, were cancelled hours before they were scheduled to begin, according to a spokesman for Lionsgate, who wouldn't make a statement about the actor's remarks.

In his interview with Good Morning America,  Neeson said he would have responded with a similar “primal urge” if his friend’s attacker had been white, and also linked his urge for violence to his time growing up in The Troubles of Northern Ireland.

“If she would have said an Irish or a Scot or a Brit or a Lithuanian, I know I would have had the same effect,” Mr. Neeson said on Tuesday, referring to his friend. “I was trying to show honour to my- stand up for my dear friend in this terrible, medieval fashion.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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He power-walked and spoke to a Catholic priest to try and overcome his anger about his friend's horrible victimisation; the friend passed away five years ago.

Mr. Neeson said the episode 40 years ago had taught him that violence and revenge only lead to more violence and revenge. He said the uproar this week had taught him something, too.

“We all pretend we’re politically correct, but in this country, it’s the same in my own country, too, but sometimes you just scratch the surface and you discover this racism and bigotry,” he said. “It’s there.”

Feature image; stuff.co.nz

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