TikTok star Sienna Mae Gomez is defending herself after she was accused of sexually assaulting her ex and Hype House reality-show co-star Jack Wright. Gomez and Wright, both 17, had been fueling romance rumors in the Hype House since fall 2020. The sexual-assault accusations were posted on May 30 by a friend of Wright’s, Mason Rizzo, who posted a Notes app statement accusing Gomez of “abusive behavior.†“I struggle with seeing a girl getting praised after telling my best friend to kill himself and sexual assaulting him numerous times after he set boundaries and then repeatedly wonder why ‘he doesn’t like you back,’†the post read. The statement was shared across social media and quote-tweeted by Jack’s twin brother, James, who added, “This is why I ‘couldn’t just let it go and stay out of it.’†Rizzo and James Wright have since deleted or un-retweeted their posts implicating Gomez.
Gomez, who has 15 million followers on TikTok, denied the allegations in an Instagram statement on May 31 and said she was taking the conversation offline. On June 1, she posted a seven-minute video on Instagram and YouTube titled “addressing false allegations.†“I unequivocally deny the allegations that I sexually assaulted Jack Wright,†Gomez says. “I’m not making an apology video; this is more of a statement.†She goes on to describe the relationship as one-sided, saying, “If I wasn’t around for the TikTok kiss or the TikTok video, I wasn’t important to him.†She said that while they both said hurtful things to one another, her feelings were genuine. Speaking directly to Jack, Gomez claims that Wright was sexually assaulted, but not by her. “You know I did not sexually assault you,†she adds, apologizing for sharing his experience. “We both know what happened and we both know who it was and we both know that I was not at that gathering that night.â€
Jack Wright himself responded in a statement on Instagram June 2. “Sexual assault is a serious matter that has real consequences,†he writes in part. “Mason and James’s only intention was to protect me with the truth, and I really value their enormous support through this extremely difficult time.â€
Update, June 4, 2021: On June 3, a friend of Jack Wright’s, Lachlan Hanneman, posted and deleted a TikTok allegedly containing footage of Gomez sexually assaulting Wright. (The TikTok was re-uploaded by drama account @DefNoodles on Twitter the same day.) Hanneman claims Wright was unconscious in a video taken by James Wright on November 31, 2020 where Gomez can be seen on top of him. Hanneman claims Gomez was groping and kissing Wright while he was passed out at a gathering. Hanneman says he pulled Gomez off of Wright and she began to “justify†her actions. In a video titled “addressing the false allegations 2,†posted on June 4 Gomez claims the video was taken out of context and edited to make it seem like he was sleeping before they made out, when she claims he fell asleep after. She also says her hand was not touching him inappropriately but on his thigh. “Within the boundaries of our relationship, this was normal,†she Gomez maintains that the allegations are a coordinated attack to defame her and says they “have now been served cease-and-desist letters.â€