Serena Williams: "I am deeply sorry."
buzzz worthy. . .
Serena Williams says her words about the Steubenville rape in a Rolling Stone article were misconstrued. The rape case involving three high school boys rapping a drunk 16-year-old gained national attention last Fall.
While not blaming the victim in the Steubenville rape case, "she shouldn't have put herself in that position," Williams opined.
That opinion did not sit well with the public and the tennis pro had to respond to an avalanche of media backlash.
In the passage from the article below she appeared to be passing judgment on the Ohio teen:
The Tennis champ issued the following statement on her Web site to clarify her intent:
Her statement: “What happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened. For someone to be raped, and at only sixteen, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved — that of the rape victim and of the accused. I am currently reaching out to the girl’s family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article. What was written — what I supposedly said — is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame. I have fought all of my career for women’s equality, women’s equal rights, respect in their fields — anything I could do to support women I have done. My prayers and support always goes out to the rape victim. In this case, most especially, to an innocent sixteen year old child.”
See the Rolling Stone article that caused the controversy.
Serena Williams says her words about the Steubenville rape in a Rolling Stone article were misconstrued. The rape case involving three high school boys rapping a drunk 16-year-old gained national attention last Fall.
While not blaming the victim in the Steubenville rape case, "she shouldn't have put herself in that position," Williams opined.
That opinion did not sit well with the public and the tennis pro had to respond to an avalanche of media backlash.
In the passage from the article below she appeared to be passing judgment on the Ohio teen:
"They did something stupid, but I don’t know. I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you: don’t take drinks from other people. She’s 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember? It could have been much worse. She’s lucky. Obviously I don’t know, maybe she wasn’t a virgin, but she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.".Williams said throughout her career she has focused on empowering women and would not blame a 16-year-old child for being raped.
The Tennis champ issued the following statement on her Web site to clarify her intent:
Her statement: “What happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened. For someone to be raped, and at only sixteen, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved — that of the rape victim and of the accused. I am currently reaching out to the girl’s family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article. What was written — what I supposedly said — is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame. I have fought all of my career for women’s equality, women’s equal rights, respect in their fields — anything I could do to support women I have done. My prayers and support always goes out to the rape victim. In this case, most especially, to an innocent sixteen year old child.”
See the Rolling Stone article that caused the controversy.
