Monday, February 01, 2010

Johnny Depp Supports Roman Polanski


Uh oh. I'm wondering about all the Johnny Depp fans on this site. Johnny Depp gave an interview and came out in support of Roman Polanski saying, "Roman is not a predator. He's 75 or 76 years old. He has got two beautiful kids, he has got a wife that he has been with for a long, long time. He is not out on the street." No, he isn't out on the street. He is living high on the hog in a chalet in Switzerland even though he should be in jail. Well, actually he should have been in jail a long time ago. If he had finished his sentence he would have got out and then tried to redeem himself over the past 30 years. Instead he showed that with some money and some fame you can walk away from anything and nothing will really ever happen to you.

83 comments:

RocketQueen said...

Oh Johnny. *shakes head sadly*

Anonymous said...

This will do nothing to the fans of JD on this site. Let a month or two pass, and they will forget.

Unknown said...

I wonder if he would be saying the same thing if it was his daughter that was given the drugs, alcohol and than anally raped?

jax said...

roman served more time in the swiss jail than he would have in the US.

done and done. let the damn victim get on with her life.

Unknown said...

It is amazing that some hollywood people just do not get it. Yes, if he had just done his sentence, it would have been over with. It is not a matter that his victim forgives him. He thumbed his nose at the justice system and now his followers figure it should be forgotten? I vote for Johnny or Debra Winger or anyone else who feels so bad for him to serve what sentence he receives. Okay?

Catherine said...

I have to agree with BJ! You said it. I am a fan of JD, always have been, but I am so disappointed by his words supporting Roman Polanski. Perhaps he feels that all of the awful things Polanski has experienced somehow excuse him. Maybe his remarks were taken out of context, but nothing excuses the fact that Polanski drugged and raped a young girl and then went on the lam for all these years.

RocketQueen said...

Wow Melody, you seem to know us all so well...so tell me, what am I thinking right now?

Butterfly said...

Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways. You can't say on the one hand that raping children is wrong, and then in the next breath say it is okay for Roman Polanski because he is old and he has a wife. If Johnny Depp thinks Roman is so okay, let Roman babysit Johnny's children, and then let's hear what he thinks.

www.reasonsyoushouldntfuckkids.wordpress.com

ballyhoo. said...

i'm with bj too. soooooo disappointed in johnny depp and am majorly turned off by this. the fact that he has a daughter and can defend this convicted pedophile is just disgusting to me.

Reese said...

Hardly surprising. One shouldn't expect as much as a modicum of common sense, logic, rational, or sufficient morality to recognize the atrocity of Polanski's actions from Hollywood et al. "Great artists" live in a very protected and rarified air that peasants like us fail to comprehend. I do wonder if they (the Polanski supporters) are so enraptured of their own narcissism that they forget how they made their fortunes, from the pockets of hoi polloi, who want Polanski to meet his appropriate fate: as an inmate in the general population of a California prison. I won't be adding to his bank account any time soon.

Ms Cool said...

Good one, BJ. What a bummer.

surfer said...

Personally, I am a fan of neither, but the passage of time does not excuse, or exonerate Roman Polanski. He was a grown man who committed a vile crime and when the time came to be sentenced, behaved like a coward and fled.

Despite the fact that the victim would like all this to go away, her wishes don't really play into this, as it was the state that charged him, not her. And it's way past time to pay the piper.

ellapetal said...

Wow, boo. That makes me sad because saying that he's not a predator because he's older, in a committed relationship and has kids is just seven shades of ignorant. Priests are in a lifetime commitment with the LORD (allegedly) and they do it. I like Johnny, and then I remember he dated Kate Moss forever. I'm sure he thought she was a lovely person too. His judgment could do with some work, methinks.

Treesap-Covered Lady, the Humanist said...

Being 75/76 doesn’t make you less of a child fugitive rapist, it just makes you an old child fugitive rapist.

Majik said...

Chances are RP isn't a threat...ANYMORE. The point is not whether he is currently a threat, but that he was convicted of a crime and has yet to pay for it.

Pardon the distasteful analogy here, but I think it gets the point across: most of the young men who served in the German S.S. were actually decent people who did atrocious things due to the circumstances. Does that mean that we shouldn't bother prosecuting them because they're now all old and no longer a "threat", or because they've seen the error of their ways? Fuck no...they did horrible things and while they may be "decent" people now, that does not erase their past. In fact, I submit that if they were TRULY decent people, they would voluntarily turn themselves in.

Same with you Roman...considering your background, you should fucking well know better.

Oh, and JD--I've never gone out of my way to see your films. Now I'll go out of my way to avoid them. I may be no one of consequence but I am a person of conscience.

iheartjacksparrow said...

Excuse me, but Roman did serve the sentence he agreed to in a plea bargain that was in place. Then the judge turned around and rejected the plea.

For those who say Johnny should let Roman babysit his children, that's stupid. No person in their right mind would allow a grown man babysit their young daughter, especially one who many have had some mental issues due to the fact that his wife and unborn child were slaughtered. The victim's mom was trying to get a movie career for her daughter and willingly let her daughter pose for him with no supervision. How come the mom hasn't been charged with child endangerment?

As for the victim, have any of you ever read her deposition, which, by the way, was obviously coached. She admits to having had sex before and being a drug user. I'm so sick of people acting like the girl was this pure little thing that Roman dragged off a playground swing. Yes, what he did was very wrong, but the mom deserves some of the blame as well.

Finally, the victim has been saying for years that she wants the whole thing dropped so she can just get on with her life. I think her wishes should be respected.

Sinjin said...

..
O
I've got news for Johnny D. A few months ago, there was a news story about another ancient old man (80s-late 90s) who had just been released from prison for child molestation/rape. He had NO REMORSE, and one got the impression that he'd offend again ASAP. They DO NOT CHANGE. They may not reoffend, but they still have those horrible urges.

I agree with the previous poster who suggested Johnny let Roman babysit Lily Rose and see if Johnny still feels the same way about Roman.

Genesis said...

You know what Im sick?

This story.

captivagrl said...

Treesap - Exactly! There are plenty of elderly child abusers. Age is another lame excuse, shame on you JD.

PunkinElf said...

Things that bother me: I'm heart sick about Depp. I've loved him since 21 Jump Street. His association with Tim Burden challenged this. His comments sealed the deal. "Why now?" "WHY NOT!" I think the US would be compassionate toward this old perv. But the coward, whose lawyers have been trying to get the CA DA office to vacate the charges, wants his way. AND when you speak of the "victim". She is 13 years old, testifying that she begged him to stop as he raped her anally and vaginally. Last, he did Nastasia Kinski, a number of other 15 year olds, and wasn't his current wife underage when he began diddling with her? Scum!

lilbitsolo said...

@iheartjacksparrow-"I'm so sick of people acting like the girl was this pure little thing that Roman dragged off a playground swing."

This statement amounts to blaming the victim. Which in itself is a tragedy.
I happen to love me some Johnny Depp, but in no way do I agree with or understand his opinion. My respect for him has dropped considerably, and I pray that he(and you) never have a family member violated the way that CHILD was.

ballyhoo. said...

excuse ME, iheartjacksparrow...

i'm no pure thing either, but the night someone slipped something into my drink at a bar and i was drugged i sure felt shitty about it, regardless of what i've done in the past.

and i think the reason the victim wants this to go away is because a terrible moment of her life is constantly dragged out into the public. WHY??? because roman polanski is a fucking coward who fled the country instead of doing what he needed to do to resolve this situation, i.e. taking responsibility for his actions. if he had done that in the first place she wouldn't have the media all up in her business every few years. HE caused this situation by drugging and raping her in the first place and CONTINUES to victimize her by hiding like the coward he is instead of facing the situation and letting it finally have some closure.

and anyone who defends this slime can kiss my ass.

Tranquil Serenity said...

Oh, Johnny. You usually do so good at keeping your pretty little mouth shut and now look what you did. This ruins any and all of his future movies for me. I refuse to support someone who supports a child rapist. How very, very disappointing. :SIGH:

@iheartjacksparrow: Are you saying that because a woman has had sex before, it disqualifies unwanted sexual contact from being rape? Are you saying that drug users who are raped are somehow less of a victim because of their drug use? You poor ignorant fool. It does NOT matter if she'd had sex prior to Roman raping her, SHE SAID NO. And if you read her deposition, SHE SAID IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OOOOOVER AGAIN. Or did you miss that part? Did you miss the part where she talks about having put her clothes BACK ON while Roman answered the door, only for him to forcibly remove them AGAIN? If you're going to wave that around as some reason why a child being ANALLY RAPED is okay, you should real the whole thing. Victims do not have a say in what happens to the offender. Not only has he committed a crime against his victim, he's committed a crime against his city, state and country... and no amount of time can make it any less so.

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

The one thing I will say in Johnny's defense is that when you know someone personally, as he does, and you've never seen that side of them in any of your dealings with them, it's a lot harder to out-and-out condemn them, because you've got that emotional investment in them; in a very real sense, you doesn't "know" the 40-something man who committed the crimes, but you do know the 70-something married father. In that regard he's not unlike a lot of people who, when someone they know and like commits a dreadful act, end up saying something along the lines of "but that's not the person I know!", and in a very real way, they're telling the truth. While plenty of Polanski's defenders in the industry are in it for their own selfish reasons, or are falling back on the whole "being a great artist excuses everything" routine, I don't doubt there is that contingent that knows him personally and can't bring themselves to condemn him because of that personal connection, and while I'm guessing that plenty of them are privately appalled at what happened (and may even have had words w/him to this regard), because they've considered him a friend, they're not quite willing to publicly throw him under the bus, even if he has it coming. I don't agree with it, but I do understand where it's coming from.

Now can we PLEASE hurry up & extradite the bastard so we can get the whole mess over with, once and for all, so Samantha can finally try to put it behind her for good (as much as it's possible to do such a thing)?

Jingle Belle said...

I've lost a lot of respect for JD. I've never had any respect for RP.

sunnyside1213 said...

majik said....

Oh, and JD--I've never gone out of my way to see your films. Now I'll go out of my way to avoid them. I may be no one of consequence but I am a person of conscience.

I agree totally. And I don't think JD would let RP anywhere near his daughter.

Sporky said...

lilbitsolo said...
@iheartjacksparrow-"I'm so sick of people acting like the girl was this pure little thing that Roman dragged off a playground swing."

This statement amounts to blaming the victim. Which in itself is a tragedy.

Very well-said.

Very disappointing, but I've never been a huge fan of Johnny's anyway.

Cindy said...

Johnny's opinions or views on anything don't change whether or not I am a fan of his. He does good work, makes good movies and if he wants to express his opinion on Polanski, let him. It's his opinion after all, not the law. How many of you still listen to The Who?

Melody the First said...

Johnny Depp just went from 100 to 0 for me. To hell with him, he goes on the s-list with the rest of the pedo apologists.

Tenley said...

What's odd is Johnny Depp has said before how awkward it was to kiss Keira Knightly in the second Pirates movie because "she's three and I'm a thousand. I'm Methuselah and she's a toddler." And he was talking about him in his late 30s/early 40s and Kiera in her late teens/early 20s.

Treesap-Covered Lady, the Humanist said...

@ Tranquil Moonlight and Ballyhoo--well said. Where the fuck does anyone get off blaming the victim?

Sis said...

Wow..well said against Ilovejacksparrow, the more I read of this persons opinion the more I got angry, and then thank you bloggers for stating your piece, and mine too!

Interesting that people are willing to dismiss these charges just because of "what he went through" with his wife and child being murdered, one does not have anything to do with the other.

Plain and simple this was a CRIME, he was supposed to be sentenced, he fled, the victim has never gotten closure because he never paid for the crimes nor did he pay up when she sued him in civil court. The guy is a scumbag and I do not care who he is, this was a crime against a child period.

Very disappointed in Johnny Depp for his opinion, I am hoping against hope he does not know the facts and shame on him if he does.

FrenchGirl said...

i'm not surprised he supports Roman Polanski because they dinnered together in a restaurant(l'ami Louis?)at Paris(France) when Depp came to promote Public Enemies so it seems they are very friend because Depp doesn't often leave his home (when he 's in France)

I'm just surprised he didn't sign the petition "free Polanski"

whereas be an old nice guy doesn't want to say all past misdemeanor are cancelled(he had sex with a drugged 13 years old girl!!!)

Elle Kaye said...

That just ruined my day. I was more than happy to dislike Natalie Portman or the fat Weinstein guy but not Johnny. Uuugh...

WBotW said...

WELL SAID IHEARTJACKSPARROW!!!
While I in no way blame the victim for this crime, I also am sick and tired of people behaving as if Polanski were some sort of violent, vicious predator who dragged some innocent child off the street. That poor kid's mother pretty much sold her that night and yet STILL not a single one of you bleeding hearts gives a flying f*ck about that. Very, very conveniently forgotten.
To BJ: Roman Polanski wasn't babysitting that girl; that girl's mother made the choice to pimp her child out to the highest bidder. EVERYONE with any sort of knowledge of the entertainment industry knew what that scene was all about back then; the alcohol, drugs, orgies, etc. were legendary. That disgusting cunt of a 'mother' knew full well what sort of crap wen on at those parties and I would be AMAZED if she didn't think that her daughter would become Polanski's newest ingenue after that night. Clearly the girl had more sense than the creature who spawned her and objected. Since I have every confidence that Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp are better parents than that I don't really see how your suggestion has any relevance whatsoever.
Polanski served the time he was supposed to serve according to the deal that was made at the time; jeez, look at how many of you freakshow Americans forgave Mike Tyson even before his sentence was served? Hell, how many of you cheered OJ on as he tried to escape justice?
But that's different, right? After all, if it's a Yankee doing the crime it's MUCH easier to accept.

Tranquil Serenity said...

@ WBotW

You seem to be forgetting that a judge has every right to refuse a plea deal. It is in no way set in stone, nor does any judge have to follow the plea deal if he or she feels that the crime deserves tougher punishment. Polanski fled the country because he heard the judge was going to sentence him to jail time. The judge had EVERY right to do this.

I do not believe that the mother is completely innocent in all of this, assuming she understood what was happening. You can not, however, assume that she was well aware of just how far things were going to go. Look at how crazy people get over celebrities now, and that's with the insane amount of information regarding their dirty laundry. Imagine how things were back then when they didn't have the internet to tell us every single dirty thing that was going on in some of these Hollywood homes. If there is a single shred of evidence that proves her mother knew what was going to happen, she should be punished just as much.

And don't you dare sit there in your shroud of judgment and assume that if it's "a yankee" doing the crime, as you put it, that that means it's easier for us to accept. We get just as outraged when "a yankee" does something of this magnitude and gets away with it, or runs like a fucking chicken instead of facing up to the consequences of his actions.

And, let's just clear this up right now... I do believe Polanski is a predator. I believe that he knew what he was doing, knew he was breaking the law and did whatever he had to do to lure this girl to comply. He drugged her and continued to assault her even after she said no multiple times.. and regardless of whether or not the mother had any knowledge of what was being done... as soon as he started having sex with her against her will... it is ALL on his shoulders.

You disgust me, WBotW. You and everyone like you.

lilbitsolo said...

@Tranquil Moonlight~ BRAVO!

Mango said...

@iheartjacksparrow - "I'm so sick of people acting like the girl was this pure little thing that Roman dragged off a playground swing."

So that makes it okay for Polanski to fuck a CHILD? Would you let that dirtbag watch YOUR children? No, I didn't think so. And I don't think your dear JD would let that pedo watch his daughter.

@ WbotW: I also am sick and tired of people behaving as if Polanski were some sort of violent, vicious predator...

He FUCKED a CHILD! That makes him a violent, vicious predator in my world. I'm so glad I don't live in your fantasy world where having sex with children is okay if the parent is less than June Cleaver. What matters is that Polanski knew it was WRONG and he did it.

RocketQueen said...

Bravo to the last three posters

shakey said...

Whether or not the mother gave the daughter up willingly is not the point. Polanski knew what he was doing was wrong. He just didn't give a shit. And when he was called on his behaviour, he coked up and bolted.

The man's a piece of shit and deserves no kindness from society.

Butterfly, your blog is excellent.

caralw said...

Totally disagree with Johnny on this one, but I still lurve him as an actor. If he had done the molesting, then no.

He's a brilliant actor. If I started hating every musician/actor/writer that made a bonehead comment, then I'd miss a lot of good stuff.

MCH said...

Well...disappointed in JD but it definitely is not the first time i've disagreed with a celebs "beliefs." Sigh.

Keli Jackson said...

The posters defending Roman Polanski reveal their own misogyny and ignorance in their language and lack of insight. These attitudes are indicative of a certain brand of "male" that blames young girls for not understanding how fearful and guarded they ought to be as they move through a world of evil, predatory, self-gratifying and disgusting pigs who will use tricks, lies, drugs, alcohol, power, promises, and influence to strip these girls of their innocence. They are truly sub-human and have no concept of the long-term damage these predators inflict on their victims and the wider-spread damage this lack of respect for the dignity of women does on our society. It is shameful and sad, as is Johnny Depp's defense of Polanski in any context.

Melody the First said...

>That poor kid's mother pretty much >sold her that night

So because one person is guilty, the other person isn't? Where is the logic in that? We have to first place the blame on the person who committed the crime -- Polanski. What her mother did or did not do has nothing to do with his crime. Do we exonerate murderers of children out after curfew because their mothers let them run the neighborhood? Is it then okay for snipers to pick them off in the streets?

Polanski committed an offense against the laws of the USA. What he's like as a person or how nice he is to kitty cats has no bearing on any of this. He's a child rapist. How any of these people -- Depp included -- could so completely befriend someone who would do this to a child, is another matter entirely.

And don't get me started on the people trying to defend him. Polanski is just another pedophile and it seems some people want to blame ANY woman rather than point the finger at the man who DID it.

PunkinElf said...

Beautifully put, Keli. Polanski was a serial child molester before and after the rape of the 13 year old. Any defense of his behavior: his youth during WWII, Manson or his stature as a director (ps. a director is not an artist. Sadly, Johnny Depp is). To blame the poor girl for an old perverts desires is so wrong.

PunkinElf said...

"Any defense of his behavior: his youth during WWII, Manson or his stature as a director..." is moot. And it is never the victim's fault. Was it Sharon Tate's? Her unborn child? They were in the way of evil. So was the 13 year old girl.

watcher said...

"Love the art. Loathe the artist". I read this in the Globe and Mail newspaper Friday 29 January (though it wasn't an article about R.P.).

BBJay said...

Hi everybody, longtime fan and lurker here. I just wanted to say Bravo and extremely well-said to Keli for her insightful comment to the pedo-apologist. I am also extremely disappointed in Johnny Depp for his support of Roman Polanski and his actions. You can slice and dice this situation any way you want to but you cannot deny the fact that at 13 years of age, the victim was too young to consent to any sexual activity with an adult, even if she hadn't consistently said no to his efforts.

Linnea said...

Keli and Tranquil Moonlight - thank you so much for your insightful and articulate points. Sometimes I find it hard to muster up the strenght to argue with people who have such twisted, warped thinking, but it needs to be done and you did it so well.

strawberrygirl said...

Johnny should tell that to the woman who was drugged and raped. It's a shame he thinks its okay to make an excuse for this man. Roman Polanski dug his own grave when he chose to rape a little girl. He needs to pay the price.

Aly said...

Not to defend Polanski at all, but his wife was actually 23 when they got married. Definitely not underage. At least that part of Polanski's history was not breaking the law.

ms_wonderland said...

I'm a long time Depp fan as well, and a much longer time Polanski hater.

I just want to say that one of Johnny's traits is his fierce loyalty to his friends. JD and Polanski worked on The Ninth Gate together - don't waste your time on it.

I bet Polanski paints himself as some poor exile, persued by a vindictive justice system, when the victim has forgiven him long ago. JD has listened to that and swallowed it whole. Enty, you missed out the bit where JD alleged that money could have changed hands in deciding to arrest Polanski now - WTF is he talking about?

Having said all that, there's no excuse for Johnny Depp. He's an intelligent man, not the usual Hollywood airhead. I'm very disappointed in him.

bramblewitch said...

la la la la, i can't hear you....

Jeannies Bottle said...

Johnny's talking as if prison is about rehabilitation...it isn't. It's about doing time for the crime. I'm extremely disappointed in my idol Johnny Depp....especially since he has a daughter of his own!

Babs said...

Johnny, you are dead to me, along with all the other Hollywood folks who apparently don't know the difference between right and wrong.

@ TranquilMoonlight & keli - Thanks for your insightful comments.

And, I rarely make negative personal commentary about the other posters on this board, but:

@ iheartjacksparrow and WBotW - You are both idiots.

Maja With a J said...

Wow...and he has a daughter. I don't wish anything bad upon her, but say she was drugged and anally raped a few years from now. I wonder if Johnny Depp would get over it once the rapist hit 76 years of age?

Lizzie said...

If Roman Polanski showed any kind of remorse, I might think he'd no longer be a predator , but

his smirk says it all! Predators don't just live in the streets, they are The Rich, The Poor, The Middle Class, and

yes The Filthy Rich.

Johnny Depp hasn't a clue what a predator is! I'm very saddened by his choice to support a person who

raped a little girl.

Barton Fink said...

Polanski should have stayed in the US, gone to jail, done his time and atoned. I can understand that he was theoretically insane at the time and acted irrationally, but he should have dealt with it and done the time. I am not angry at the glitzy people who "support" him for whatever reason, but ultimately the justice system has to function rationally. Equal punishment for everyone. Drugging a child and repeatedly having your way with her, that's just not acceptable, no matter how old or married Polanski is now.

skeeball said...

it doesn't matter how much jail time he served in any other country, he still is a fugitive from the US. Until he serves his sentence here, he always will be a fugitive and a total piece of shit painting himself as an artist and an intellectual.

lmnop123 said...

Well at least I wasn't in a habit of immediately supporting Johnny at the box office.

Another one bites the dust.

So sad.:(

jax said...

you guys seriously need to dig a little deeper in your news about this case. there was LOT of shady underage shit going on in hollywood including Jack Nichoslon, Polanski and LOTS of well known actors. this night was nothing new EXCEPT the mother decided to go for gold and cry rape after she realized polanski could not further her or her two daughters career.

i am in no way saying that what happened was just...but NOT ALL FACTS ALL FACTS in the police report.... because we all know how HONEST the LAPD are.

why do you think the VERY next day, Geimer's lawyer tried to get a deal for Polanski. How many times do you think a rape victim sends her lawyer to help her attacker out?

the judge was a FAMEWHORE and was not trustworthy...according to the PROSECUTOR. the prosecutor. think about that.

have your opinions..but educate them first. this isn't a cut and dry case.

Melody the First said...

jax, I HAVE educated myself. Have you read the court transcript? Polanski was alone in a room with a 13 year old girl. He drugged her. He anally raped her. I don't care what anyone else did or didn't do, the victim is the 13 year old child. Now just this 13 year old but all children. They're the ones who were placed at risk by this individual's actions.

GalFriday said...

To whomever posted the link to www.reasonsyoushouldntfuckkids.com - thanks. It is awesome to read how something (even the briefest of one-time violations) as a child can continue to affect you for the rest of your life.

From the website - I think this covers why we shouldn't blame the child:
"For the longest time, I thought the sex abuse was my fault. I thought that if I had said no one more time to my brother, or dressed differently in front of my father, then they wouldn’t have molested me. Many therapists had to explain to me that there was nothing I could have done to change the course of events. They also explained to me that even if I had ran around naked saying “fuck me”, it still would have been the adult’s job in my life to actually not fuck me. Because fucking kids is wrong.

The part of ourselves that feels we are somehow at fault for these people molesting us is the part that needs to believe that bad things don’t happen to good people. Bad things only happen to bad people, and good things happen to good people. But the truth is, shitty things happen to good people all the time. All children are good people, and yet adults keep molesting them.

When someone molests us, it changes our whole world view. Not only do we think all people are bad, we think that somehow we are inherently bad, and that because we are bad, this horrible thing happened to us. This is why you shouldn’t fuck kids, it fucks with our innermost dialogue that tells us whether we ourselves are good or bad people. We are good people, and bad things happened to us. And the truth is, it’s not our fault. But we think it is until you and many other people tell us differently."


The reason why he should serve the full time is because his victim - every victim of child abuse - is forever changed, altered. I'm a survivor ... and Boy, do I survive:I love my life: great husband, educated, career, comfortable. But, I have all kinds of quirks and issues - I view the world warily. I will forever carry with me the feelings, sensations and memories of my abuse.

Why should the victim be forever changed by their abuse while the perpetrator escapes any form of real justice. I can't understand how ANYONE would think that is fair or just.

Babs said...

Thanks for posting that, Gal Friday.

And, respectfully, @ jax - the "everybody was doing it" attitude just doesn't hold water.

jfwlucy said...

@jax -- so lots of other people committing crimes against girls at that time makes it okay? Oh, all right.

And yes, lawyers do (very often at client's behest) approach the other side to make deals. So what? P. probably wanted to avoid jail time and G. wanted to avoid public testimony.

And it is the GIRL who matters here -- not the mom, not the LAPD, not the 70s, not the judges/lawyers. Have you no sense of justice and equal rule under law?

Anna Geletka said...

Iheartjacksparrow: "No person in their right mind would allow a grown man babysit their young daughter..." WTF? This is yet another dimension of victim-blaming. Are you saying that EVERY grown man wants to rape little girls? Or that they just can't control themselves? Or that any man who wants to spend time with little girls is automatically a pervert?

If you are a woman, you have a fucked-up view of men. Not all men rape girls or want to rape girls. If you are a man, this comment says a lot more about your own perversion than it does about men as a whole. Not all men who like to spend time with children are predators. That attitude is destructive to both men AND women.

Jax:"there was LOT of shady underage shit going on in hollywood including Jack Nichoslon, Polanski and LOTS of well known actors..."

In no way does this make me change my mind on Polanski. It just means that Nicholson and those other actors should ALSO be brought up on rape charges and face jail time. JUST BECAUSE IT WAS COMMON PRACTICE DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT.

Mango said...

there was LOT of shady underage shit going on in hollywood including Jack Nichoslon, Polanski and LOTS of well known actors.

and this is just another reasons why I am not aboard the JACK NICHOLSON RULES train. He is an overpaid perv of the first order.

Melody the First said...

Well said, Ms Luey, Jenny, Babs and GalFriday.

And if everything was status quo, why did Anjelica Huston pound on the door and demand that Polanski report what he was "doing in there with that little girl"?

Ice Angel said...

Why does this surprise anyone? This is a man who so hates his own country he chooses to live in France. He is an anti-American uber-liberal movie star. That doesn't make him smart. And this isn't about the victim. What Polanski did was a crime against society, not just the victim. He then fled the country to escape punishment for his crime.I really don't care if the pope himself begs for mercy...the law is the law is the law and any of us on this board accused of doing what he did would be sitting in a cell, as they should be.

espos said...

There was a time when he was out on the street, when this all blew up again a The Sunday Times columnist wrote that a friend of hers had been propositioned by him in St. Tropez (I think it was) back in the early 70's, asking her if she wanted to come to an orgy on a yacht. She was there holidaying and only just turned 16, from the brief quote attributed to the subject it read as though she's still deeply shocked by the thought of it.

Linnea said...

Ice angel - how on earth does him chosing to live in France (the country of his childrens mother) mean its unsurprising that he would support a child rapist?

I am sorry, but I am European and liberal (by your standars, at least) and I have NEVER heard anyone defend polanski in any way shape or form.

Maja With a J said...

I'm European too and not at all an anti American uber-liberal. I do have a problem with grown men putting their dicks in children, though.

m said...

enty, I expected more from you as a legal professional. Polanski skipped town because he was tipped off that the judge was going to change the deal that was stipulated to by the parties. Yes, he should have done time, but if the allegation by the former prosecutor is true, then one can understand why he ran (not that it's right).

GalFriday said...

Just because something is agreed upon by both sides (prosecutor/defendant) doesn't make it decidedly so.
I thought the judge is the final say - whether he approves their agreement or not.

In this case, he realized this was another rich a-hole getting away with CHILD RAPE and said, Hell no I won't approve this bullshit 'deal'. It is his right as the judge.

Go Judge!

MommaBear said...

I applaud everyone on this site and within the entertainment community who have taken a stand against 'pedophile Polanski'. I don't care that he may not be currently abusing children. He committed a crime and has yet to do the time. He truly is a sad sack of shit.

And to Johnny Depp and everyone who's supporting Polanski, I say: "shame on you".

This child was the VICTIM, and Roman is the depraved CRIMINAL. Have we lost our moral compass? How is it that a child can be raped, and society blames the child?

LauPow said...

I realise this particular debate is probably over now, but I'm going to say it anyway.

If I (hypothetically) walked out onto the street and punched someone in the face and that person chose to have me charged with assault, the police would come knocking. If I saw the police from my window and ran out the back door and then kept running, they would come after me.

I'm dirt poor, I can't afford a high-class lawyer to convince a jury that the woman deserved punching. So is it right that I keep running? No. I did something against the law, regardless of how fair a deal I think I'll get, I have to face the consequences. Because that is society, and that is the justice we ALL live with. I'm not above it, even if I don't agree with it.

Regardless of his situation, the victim's thoughts, the moral climate of the era, etc. HE COMMITTED A CRIME. He doesn't deny that. The same laws are there for everyone no matter how fair we may find them. NO ONE should be above the law. By allowing him to keep running, we were essentially saying that he is. How anyone can deny that or try to gloss over it is beyond me.

If you don't agree with a ruling, then fight against it afterwards. Campaign, write letters, hold protests. Try to CHANGE it. But it's not your call as an individual to decide whether or not you deserve to face it in the first place.

Sometimes things are that black and white.

Linnea said...

Charlo - that prosecutor has come out and said he lied in that documentary everyone keeps referring to

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-09-30/polanskis-lost-alibi/f%20ull/

Barton Fink said...

Kinky Bootleg and linnea, thanks for those posts --

To people who say "it's complicated," I have to point out that sex with a 13 yr old is not a private matter. It's not a civil trial, it's a criminal trial matter, and doesn't every piece of evidence point to the fact that the child says "Don't do this to me" and he insisted on it despite her tears? Raping a weeping child? This is complicated? Even if her mother had sold the child to him, does that abate the illegality? Seriously, it doesn't. It can't. The victim years and years later, after much counseling, pushed it into the past and "got over it," but the criminal complaint isn't done away with by actions she took for her own mental health.

Ice Angel said...

Where did I say I hated Europeans? Or where did I say that if you are European, you probably support Polanski. I simply referenced the fact that there has been a lot of evidence of Johnny calling Americans dumb and he was very outspoken against America and the war, etc... While Americans certainly have the right to say what they will about America, I think it is unforgiveable to say these things when you are resident of another country. My comment wasn't about Europe or Europeans anymore than it is about liberals. My comment was strictly about Depp and how his anti-American sentiments, words and actions make him less likely to surprise us by any outlandish statements or endorsements he may make.

Basically, what I am saying is that I believe Johnny Depp is an idiot and therefore it does not surprise me that he would support Polanski. Not that he is a liberal and I would expect hiim to support Polanski. Am I explaining myself enough? I certainly had no intention of insulting ANYONE other than Johnny Depp.

Oh...and I guess I am in a minority because I do not think he is all that great of an actor and do not think he is even remotely cute. But that is just me and my opinion.

Linnea said...

alright, then i am totally with you. :)

No, really. He is good looing enough, but i cant say i am a fan, and i am not surprised at his statement either.

Geebz said...

I'm through with JD. :(

kate said...

Here are some of the facts:

"He (Polanski) was sent to prison for 42 days, but the judge tried to renege on the plea bargain. On the day of his sentencing in 1978, aware the judge would sentence him to more prison time, Polanski fled to France."

"Back in 1977, the director had pleaded guilty only to unlawful sexual intercourse with a then 13-year-old Geimer, she said Polanski performed oral sex, intercourse and sodomy on her after giving her champagne and part of a Quaalude pill at Jack Nicholson's house while the actor was away."


"Polanski has called the girl a sophisticated teen who willingly had sex with him."

" Geimer has already sued him and reached an undisclosed settlement. She filed court papers earlier this year asking the charges against Polanski be dismissed, according to CNN."

"LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) Samantha Geimer, the woman who Roman Polanski raped as a 13-year-old girl in 1977, is now fighting in a California court to set the embattled director free."

"Geimer's attorney, Lawrence Silver, argued in front of California’s Second District Court of Appeal for an end to the 32-year-old case, Thursday Dec. 10, saying Geimer has repeatedly said she wants it dropped, and citing a recently adopted law allowing victims to have a say in cases."

Heres my thoughts on the matter...The "victem" in this case received an undisclosed amount of money after she sued polanski for the "rape", and after she got said money she wants the charges dropped! Shes actually been fighting FOR polanski! If she were truly a rape victem in the sense that she described i.e sodomy etc.(opposed to it having just been consensual statatory rape), then why is money the only thing shes worried about? Wouldnt you think she would want justice, and to make sure that he could never do it again? ...and as far as how everyone talks about how he gave her all these drugs, all he gave her was PART of one qualude, and some champagne, which she willingly took, and this is coming from her! Think about it, this man could have had any women he wanted, he was married to Sharon Tate for gods sake! Not to mention He had never done anything like that before or since...I personally think he just made a mistake in having sex with a smart minipulative mature teenage girl who knew what she was doing and obviously succeded, she never cared about jail time or justice, just money! Once she got her money from her lawsuit she was happy, and the fact that she is literally fighting for his release and to have the charges dropped is really strange if what she said happened really did happen...I think hes guilty of statatory rape and that he should be held accountable for his poor judgement...but i think things were greatly exageratted by the girl in order to get a large pay off...like i said this is just my opinion based on the facts I found in my research on the matter...I recommend everyone research it themselves before they pass judgement...because as far as im concerned theres her side, his side, and then the truth, which we will never know...I just think somethings fishy if the victem of a rape only cares about money rather than justice...

Ice Angel said...

Kate...in your research, have you read the girl's testimony? She now just wants it gone because she has grown tired of talking about it.

The problem isn't so much as the fact that he has been punished enough or not. He fled the country, flipped off our legal system and did things his own way. That is not the way justice is meant to be served in this country. He had enough money to appeal and fight the sentence if it turned out to be too extreme. In my opinion, he should have been behind bars forever. Anyone who commits a crime against a child should be banished from society forever, in my opinion. And to say this girl was "mature" "conniving" etc...is a dangerous way to describe a 13 year old girl who was raped and sodomized by a rich, powerful, married, grown man.

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