Ansel Elgort Denies Sexual Assault Allegation: 'I Have Never and Would Never Assault Anyone'

The actor said he never assaulted the woman who came forward with allegations against him

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Published on June 21, 2020 10:40 AM

Ansel Elgort has denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl.

Earlier this week, a Twitter user named Gabby shared a since-deleted post, in which she alleged the Baby Driver actor, 26, had sexually assaulted her in 2014 when she was 17. She also alleged that he tried to solicit nude photos from her and asked to have a threesome.

In a statement shared on his Instagram account on Saturday, Elgort denied the allegations.

"I was distressed to see the social media posts about me that have been circulating in the past 24 hours. 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.

"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. I know this belated apology does not absolve me of my unacceptable behavior when I disappeared," he continued. "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."

In the since-deleted Tweet, the woman, who also appears to have deleted her account, claimed that she was sexually assaulted by Elgort shortly after her 17th birthday. (The age of consent in New York is 17.)

After sending Elgort a direct message on social media, the woman alleged that she was given his private Snapchat. "I didn't think he'd ever see my DM," she wrote, according to The Wrap. "I was just a kid and was a fan of him."

"When it happened instead of asking me if I wanted to stop having sex knowing it was my first time and I was sobbing in pain and I didn't want to do it the only words that came out of his mouth were 'we need to break you in,'" she continued in the since-deleted message. "I disassociated myself and just felt like my mind was gone I was in shock."

She went on to allege that Elgort "asked me for nudes" and "asked to have a threesome with me and one of my 'dance friends,'" who she claimed was underage. She also alleged she "didn't tell anyone because he said it could 'ruin his career.'"

Although the woman initially chose not to come forward with her allegations, she wrote that she was speaking out so she could "finally heal."

"Years later I have ptsd, I have panic attacks I go to therapy," she wrote. "Finally I'm ready to talk about it and finally heal."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to online.rainn.org.