In a new interview with BuzzFeed News, Sunny Leone has talked about an incident of sexual harassment she faced when she was only 18 and how she responded. She was on the sets of one of her earliest shoots for a music video, when a rapper tried to misbehave with her. Despite being a newbie in the industry, Sunny made sure to respond strongly to her harasser and let the producers know about what was happening.
She had also included a fictionalised version of the incident in her series Karenjit Kaur: The Untold Story.
Take a look at what she had to say.
It was difficult and it was hard to be that person who gives it back to them and feel horrible later because, that was one of the first... I had ever been on. And it was for a music video so I was like, ‘Oh wow! This is great! Who knows where it can go...’ I was like 18 years old... When someone like that says something to you it’s like... You have to give it back.
Sunny Leone
Sunny added that even if she was perceived as brash for complaining, it was important to do so.
I went to the producer and director and told them, ‘You guys need to get him the F off me otherwise I’m leaving and I know you guys need me because you’ve cast me as your lead and we’ve already started shooting so tell him to leave me alone.’ Not knowing the set etiquette, not knowing how to deal with the situation.
Sunny Leone
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
She also talked about how women are expected to be measured in their responses, and not every situation needs to be dealt so strongly.
I think each situation is different. A person that you meet is going to be different, so you’ve to handle it with right amount of care. But it just depends upon how you’re treated at that moment. Of course if that person is being a jerk then you should give it back to them. But if it is one of those, you know... Weird flirting situations, you as a woman need to gauge what you need to do.
Sunny Leone
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
