With the #MeToo and Time’s Up movement taking hold and continuing to change conversations and narratives in Hollywood and beyond, there’s been an interesting movement of “going back” to previous claims made about high-profile Hollywood stars. Dylan Farrow forced the conversation about Woody Allen in the #MeToo era, and now actors are distancing themselves from Woody like never before. Gary Oldman is a shoo-in for an Oscar this year, but his ex-wife recently gave a new interview, talking about how he abused her during their marriage some-odd 20 years ago.
Some people have forgotten that Michael Fassbender was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in 2009-10. Sunawin “Leasi” Andrews filed for a restraining order against Fassbender in 2010, and in her petition – which was recently obtained by the Daily Beast – she details a series of abuses/assaults in 2009, including the time he dragged her in a car:
In her petition, she listed the “date of most recent abuse” as Nov. 18, 2009. But in her narrative of the encounter, she wrote that she visited a hospital on Nov. 29. (Her medical bills, submitted in the filings, note a Nov. 29 date of service. It’s unclear whether Nov. 18 was a clerical error on her part, or if she sought medical attention 11 days later.)
One disturbing episode allegedly occurred when Fassbender, Andrews, and two friends dined at a restaurant. According to Andrews, Fassbender became enraged when one of her ex-boyfriends approached their table to say hello.
“Michael was drinking and became angry,” Andrews wrote, adding that, when it was time to leave, her worried friends followed them home. “Michael was driving my car dangerously fast and screaming at me. I begged him to stop the car in fear of an accident or for my children who were home asleep,” Andrews continued. “As we got closer to my house I put my car in stop. Got out walked around the car to pull key from ignition. Michael drove of[f] dragging me along from the car.”
Andrews claimed that Fassbender “stopped after he realized I could not walk and got out of car. He picked me up and put me in car as my friends pulled up behind us. They stayed the night to help calm things.” She woke on Nov. 29 “in a deep sweat and pain with vaginal bleeding,” her petition states. “I went to the hospital and had a twisted left ankle, blown out left knee cap and a bursted ovarian cyst,” Andrews continued. “Lots of internal bleeding.”
One former friend at dinner that night, who didn’t want to be named and declined comment, said she didn’t witness the alleged car-dragging incident.
“I was with her that night. I know that they had a fight but I didn’t witness anything he did to her,” the onetime pal said when reached by phone, adding, “When we got to the house, they were not fighting anymore.”
Fassbender’s long-time fans have heard about Leasi before, and this story was always available in various media outlets’ archives. It was said, at the time, that she dropped the bulk of her claims and her request for a restraining order because she didn’t want to damage his career. It was said, at the time, that Fassbender had well-connected friends who helped him bury Leasi’s restraining order petition and spread damaging information about her. Now Leasi claims that she was not only the victim of Fassbender’s abuse, but of a smear campaign that was orchestrated by his team. It’s also worth noting that in 2012, Fassbender and Andrews apparently briefly reunited at a Golden Globes after-party, a story which was widely reported back then too.
To be clear, I think the movement to go back and look at old abuse claims with new eyes in a new era is a good thing. We should be asking these difficult questions and revising our opinions of famous men. It’s okay to admit that you were wrong about some people, and it’s okay to change your mind. I also tend to believe that this “review” of Fassbender’s actions wouldn’t be happening if he was still in the height of his fame, you know? Fassbender’s career is on the downswing right now, and the biggest headline about him from the past year is that he quietly married Alicia Vikander. The same Vikander who participated in the Time’s Up blackout at the Golden Globes this year.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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