Quentin Tarantino apologises for defending Roman Polanski

Ben Arnold
·Contributor

Quentin Tarantino has said that he’s sorry for defending Roman Polanski in an interview unearthed this week.

The Kill Bill director was being interviewed on the Howard Stern Show in 2003 when he denied that the director had raped Samantha Geimer, for which he was convicted in 1977 before fleeing the country.

During the conversation, which was unearthed by Jezebel earlier this week, he also said that Geimer, who was 13 at the time, ‘wanted to have’ sex with Polanski.

In a statement provided to Indiewire, he said: “I want to publicly apologise to Samantha Geimer for my cavalier remarks on The Howard Stern Show speculating about her and the crime that was committed against her.

“Fifteen years later, I realise how wrong I was. Ms. Geimer WAS raped by Roman Polanski. When Howard brought up Polanski, I incorrectly played devil’s advocate in the debate for the sake of being provocative.

“I didn’t take Ms. Geimer’s feelings into consideration and for that I am truly sorry.

“So, Ms. Geimer, I was ignorant, and insensitive, and above all, incorrect. I am sorry Samantha.”

Geimer, speaking to the New York Daily News yesterday, prior to Tarantino’s apology, said that the director was ‘wrong’ about sex between her and Polanski being consensual.

“He was wrong. I bet he knows it,” said Geimer, now 54. “I hope he doesn’t make an a** of himself and keep talking that way.

“I’m not upset, but I would probably feel better if he realises now that he was wrong, after 15 years, after hearing the facts.

“Nobody has to be pissed off on my behalf. I’m okay.”

Polanski was found guilty of giving Geimer pills and alcohol while working with him on a fashion shoot, and was ordered to attend a psychiatric facility, which he did for 42 days.

However, on hearing his plea deal was about to be overturned, with the possibility of 50 years in prison, he fled the US.

Read more
Jim Carrey calls for Facebook boycott
First Deadpool 2 trailer
Call Me By Your Name director wanted to make Black Panther


Latest stories