Jena Malone has revealed that she is a sexual assault survivor, opening up on the experience with a post shared to Instagram (via Deadline). The post includes an image of Malone from the set of the final installment of the Hunger Games series, 2015's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2. In the caption, which includes a trigger warning, Malone speaks about the conflicting emotions she has with her work on the Hunger Games movies, as the assault happened during their production, forever tainting the experience.
"This photo was taken right after I wrapped mocking Jay part two and I had to say goodbye to everyone on set," Malone explains. "We were shooting in a beautiful estate in the countryside of France and I asked the driver to let me out in this field so I could cry and capture this moment. Even tho this time in Paris was extremely hard for me, was going thru a bad break up and also was sexually assaulted by someone I had worked with, I was so full of gratitude for this project, the people I became close with and this amazing part I got to play."
Malone continued, "A swirling mix of emotions im only now just learning to sort thru. I wish it wasn’t tied to such a traumatic event for me but that is the real wildness of life I guess. How to hold the chaos with the beauty. I’ve worked very hard to heal and learn thru restorative justice, how to make peace with the person who violated me and make peace with myself. It’s been hard to talk about the hunger games and Johanna Mason without feeling the sharpness of this moment in time but I’m ready to move thru it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt."
Malone also notes that she's here for other sexual assault survivors and has made herself available to speak with for anyone who wants to share their own stories in a private, safe space with someone who understands.
"Lots of love to you survivors out there," Malone says. "The process is so slow and non linear. I want to say im here for anyone who needs to talk or vent or open uncommunicated spaces within themselves. Please dm me if you need a safe space to be heard."
Jena Malone on Why She Won't Name Her Assailant
While Malone noted that the individual who'd assaulted her was someone she worked with, she did not name the person. Some people in the comments responded to the omission, but Malone explained her reasoning for this. In response to one comment that the assailant walked away scot-free, Malone wrote, "That’s not true. I used restorative justice to allow healing and accountability and growth with the other person. It was a hard process but one I believe truly helped me move thru some of the hardest parts of the grief.”
The actress added in another response that she didn't see how "cancel culture" or the criminal justice system "could fully repair my healing."
Malone recently appeared in the horror film Swallowed and can be seen in Zack Snyder's next movie, Rebel Moon, which is in the works at Netflix. She has also joined the cast of Kevin Costner's upcoming Western Horizon alongside Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, and Jamie Campbell Bower.