The Murder, She Wrote actress attracted criticism after revealing women should "sometimes take (the) blame" when quizzed about sexual misconduct in Hollywood in the wake of the movie producer Harvey Weinstein scandal and others.
New Statement
The 92-year-old star has now issued a statement in the wake of the reaction to her words, putting simply:
"There is no excuse whatsoever for men to harass women in an abusive sexual manner. And, I am devastated that anyone should deem me capable of thinking otherwise. Those who have known the quality of my work and the many public statements I have made over the course of my life, must know, that I am a strong supporter of Women's Rights."
Ms. Lansbury rebuked also those who had blamed her age as being the reason for her earlier words given in an interview with Radio Times, a British television magazine.
"Lastly, I would like to add that I am troubled by how quickly and brutishly some have taken my comments out of context and attempted to blame my generation, my age, or my mindset, without having read the entirety of what I said."
READ MORE: Angela Lansbury Claims Women 'Sometimes Must Take Blame', Ignites Twitter
maybe instead of telling women not to make themselves look attractive (despite Hollywood being unbelievably prejudice against women that don't conform to societies beauty ideals) try teaching men that sexual assault is not an appropriate response to seeing a pretty woman!!??
— alma 🍕 (@almagtfo) November 28, 2017
2- i'm sorry but she is wrong, so wrong. Blaming the victims of sexual harassment instead of going after the harasser. "Oh you dressed that way, then, it is your fault of someone sexually harass you". i'm sorry but no, just no. #MeToo
— Rim-Sarah Alouane (@RimSarah) November 28, 2017
Her comments also attracted criticism from Joan Smith, chair of the Mayor of London's Violence Against Women and Girls Board, who described them as being "breathtakingly ignorant and ill-informed."
"Even if Lansbury was unaware of the dark side of Hollywood in her youth, the fact that she is recycling rape myths seven decades later is inexcusable," she said.
Me for the Telegraph (£): Don't be ignorant, Angela Lansbury — making yourself less 'attractive' doesn't protect women against rapehttps://t.co/2HpwIwovmH
— Joan Smith (@polblonde) November 28, 2017
The actress, best known for playing amateur detective Jessica Fletcher in the television drama, will soon take on the role of Aunt March in the television adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, Little Women. She is also scheduled to appear in the Mary Poppins sequel Mary Poppins Returns next year.
