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Samantha Geimer, Polanski Rape Victim, Calls Out Quentin Tarantino: ‘He Was Wrong. I Bet He Knows It’

Audio of Tarantino defending Roman Polanski during a 2003 interview with Howard Stern has gone viral this week.
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
LAURENT CIPRIANI/AP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

Samantha Geimer, who was raped by Roman Polanski in 1977 when she was 13 years old, has responded to the resurfaced audio of Quentin Tarantino defending Polanski over the act. Tarantino’s 2003 appearance on Howard Stern’s radio show included Tarantino’s thoughts that Geimer was a “party girl” and was “down” for Polanski’s sexual advances.

“He didn’t rape a 13-year-old,” Tarantino said about Polanski. “It was statutory rape…he had sex with a minor. That’s not rape. To me, when you use the word rape, you’re talking about violent, throwing them down — it’s like one of the most violent crimes in the world.”

Geimer spoke exclusively to The Daily News about Tarantino’s polarizing comments. She said Tarantino “is wrong” to assume she wanted to be raped at 13 and figures that Tarantino knows this by now since it’s been 15 years since the interview aired.

“He was wrong. I bet he knows it,” Geimer said, referring toTarantino. “I hope he doesn’t make an ass of himself and keep talking that way. He is obviously incorrect. Hopefully by now he knows that it didn’t happen that way.”

Geimer, who says she is a fan of Tarantino and his work, isn’t going to keep a grudge over Tarantino’s defense. She says she’s not upset and doesn’t need people to be angry on her behalf.

“I’m not upset, but I would probably feel better if he realizes now that he was wrong, after 15 years, after hearing the facts,” Geimer said. “Nobody has to be pissed off on my behalf. I’m okay…It’s not a big deal to me what people think. It doesn’t make a difference in my life. I know what happened. I do not need other people weighing in on what it’s like getting raped at 13.”

Geimer made headlines in 2015 for saying she forgave Polanski for raping her in 1977. “I have forgiven him and moved on,” she told The News. “He pled guilty, served his time, and I’m not quite sure what anyone expects beyond that. That’s satisfactory to me. It should be to everyone.”

Tarantino’s Stern interview went viral after the publication of a Deadline interview in which he told his side of the Uma Thurman “Kill Bill” car crash.

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