Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood has revealed that she has been raped in the past.
The actress, who plays the android Dolores (pictured) in the series and is subjected to violence in the first episode, said she has experienced similar trauma to her character.
“I’ve been raped. By a significant other. And on a separate occasion, by the owner of a bar . . . I don’t believe we live in a time where people can stay silent any longer. Not given the state our world is in with its blatant bigotry and sexism,” she said.
The actress also opened up about coming out as bisexual in 2011, revealing her family members and friends considered her sexual choice “a phase or something stupid, or something you were doing for attention”.
She told Rolling Stone: “You know, bisexuality is worthy of eye rolls, and I didn’t realise how damaging that was until I tried to have healthy relationships as an adult and realised that there was still all this shame and conditioning and stigma around my sexuality that was really affecting the way I related to people.
One. More. 90 minute episode… #themaze #westworld #violentdelights #violentends pic.twitter.com/nUROWD5alw
— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) November 28, 2016
“I think I was taken advantage of because someone knew there was something about me that they could exploit.”
She recently defended violence towards her character in the show in the opening episode, something she still stands by.
“The thing about Westworld is we don’t actually show any act of rape,” she said. “It’s the initial knee-jerk reaction – which I totally get because it is a problem and valid. You know.”
Earlier today (November 28), she confirmed an extended final episode of Season One, writing: “One. More. 90 minute episode…”
JJ Abrams’ remake of the ’70s sci-fi film premiered on October 2 on HBO. The Star Wars: The Force Awakens director produced the series, which stars Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden and Rachel Wood. It was written by Interstellar and The Dark Knight writer Jonathan Nolan.