"For women in America who come forward with stories of harassment,???????? ?????? abuse and sexual assault, there are not two sides to every story, however noble that principle might seem," writes Amber Tamblyn in a New York Timesop-ed, following her Twitter exchange with James Woods.
Woods' criticism of an upcoming film depicting a relationship between a 24-year-old and a 17-year-old led Tamblyn to come forward with a story claiming that Woods tried to pick her and a friend up when she was only 16.
SEE ALSO: 7 influential feminists share the most powerful thing about being a woman"As they quietly chip away the last barriers of decency," Woods tweeted on Sept. 10, in reference to Call Me By Your Name, a 2017 film starring Armie Hammer. Hammer's response, accusing Woods of hypocrisy, prompted the reply by Tamblyn.
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Tamblyn later provided a screenshot of her text conversation about the event with the friend in question.
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The exchange and ensuing online response, including Woods dismissing Tamblyn's story as a lie, led Tamblyn to pen an open letter to Woods, published by Teen Vogue.
Tamblyn's new op-ed in the NYT speaks to the larger issues women face coming forward with such stories.
"Women do not get to have a side. They get to have an interrogation," writes Tamblyn. "The emotional cost alone of bringing up such memories publicly or coming forward with such recollections is pure bankruptcy."
Tamblyn, who has worked consistently in Hollywood for more than 20 years, goes on to question what deniers of her story believe she has to gain from coming forward.
"What would I get out of accusing this person of such an action, almost 20 years after the fact? Notoriety, power or respect? I am more than confident with my quota of all three. Even then, why would I choose the guy from 'Scary Movie 2' to help my stature when I’m already married to the other guy from 'Scary Movie 2'?" writes Tamblyn, who is married to actor David Cross.
As Tamblyn mentions in her piece, 65 percent of sexual assaults went unreported from 2006 to 2010 according to a report by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. Tamblyn considers this statistic a clear reaction to the resistance women face after coming forward.
"The women I know, myself included, are done, though, playing the credentials game," Tamblyn concludes. "We are learning that the more we open our mouths, the more we become a choir."
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