After news emerged that Quentin Tarantino made comments during a 2003 interview with Howard Stern alleging she was engaged in a consensual, albeit illegal, relationship with director Roman Polanski, Samantha Geimer stepped up to clarify that the director was wrong about her assault. “I know what happened,†Geimer told the New York Daily News on Wednesday. “I do not need other people weighing in on what it’s like getting raped at 13.†Now that Tarantino has apologized to Geimer for his “insensitive and incorrect†remarks, she tells IndieWire that she has forgiven the Hateful Eight director. Moreover, Geimer “takes offense†that the details of her rape were used to lambaste Tarantino without concern for her wishes. “He is sincere in his apology and I told him I felt my rape was being used to attack him by people who don’t care about what happened to me, and I do take offense to that,†explained Geimer. Later in the interview she added, “What bothers me is that people are attacking somebody else at your expense. Let’s throw your rape out there to attack Quentin Tarantino.â€
When asked about the role of apologies in the age of #MeToo, Geimer concludes that the apologies she’s received, both from Tarantino and Polanski, did help, even if she had previously felt no need for them. “Like I said about Quentin, I don’t need an apology, because I don’t care about what he said. Why should I, right? I don’t let that stuff bother me,†said Geimer. “But in actuality, I’m kind of wrong, because it seems that it is nice to have an apology. That one from Roman ended up being super-meaningful.â€