Emily Ratajkowski has accused Robin Thicke of sexually assaulting her on set of the Blurred Lines music video in 2013. In her new book, My Body – set to be released later this month – the model, actor and activist writes that Robin groped her ‘bare breasts’ in front of the director and other film crew recording the video.
The allegation was first reported by the Sunday Times newspaper, Thicke is yet to reply to media requests for comment. In the book, Emily writes that shooting Blurred Lines was initially an enjoyable experience as the video was produced by an all-female team. However, when she was set to film her scenes alone with Thicke, she says he ‘returned to the set a little drunk to shoot just with me.’
‘Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt the coolness and foreignness of a stranger’s hands cupping my bare breasts from behind,’ Emily writes. ‘I instinctively moved away, looking back at Robin Thicke… He smiled a goofy grin and stumbled backward, his eyes concealed behind his sunglasses. My head turned to the darkness beyond the set. [The director, Diane Martel’s] voice cracked as she yelled out to me, “Are you okay?”’
Emily goes on to say that while being physically semi-naked for most of the shoot, that moment made her feel ‘naked for the first time that day.’ ‘I pushed my chin forward and shrugged, avoiding eye contact, feeling the heat of humiliation pump through my body,’ she said. ‘I didn’t react – not really, not like I should have.’
Diane Martel has corroborated Emily’s allegation, stating that she ended the music video shoot because of the incident.
‘I remember the moment that he grabbed her breasts,’ Diane told the Sunday Times. ‘One in each hand. He was standing behind her as they were both in profile. I screamed in my very aggressive Brooklyn voice, “What the f*ck are you doing, that’s it! The shoot is over!!”’
She says Robin apologised and was ‘contrite’ afterwards, adding ‘I don’t think he would have done this had he been sober.’
Now, the allegations are trending on Google with ‘Blurred Lines music video’ and ‘Robin Thicke grope’ major breakout search terms. It appears people, quite perversely, want to view the alleged incident for themselves. The Blurred Lines video, which also featured Pharrell Williams, T.Y. and models Elle Evans, and Jessi M'Bengue, made major headlines in 2013 for both the lyrical and video content. It was initially released with fully clothed models on 20th march, with an ‘unrated version’ posted nine days later showing the female models involved almost completely nude.
But the songs concept and lyrics were the main cause of concern, with Rape Crisis putting out a statement at the time noting the songs alleged glamourisation of male violence.
‘The lyrics of “Blurred Lines” seem to glamourise violence against women and to reinforce rape myths, which we strive to dispel,’ spokesperson Katie Russell said. ‘Certain lyrics are explicitly sexually violent and appear to reinforce victim-blaming rape myths, for example about women giving “mixed signals” through their dress or behaviour, saying “no” when they really mean “yes” and so on.’
Pharrell Williams – who wrote the song alongside Robin and T.I - has since spoken of his regret at the lyrics used, telling GQ magazine in 2019 that he would ‘never write or sing’ some of his old songs today.
Emily herself has also spoke about regretting being part of the song, telling InStyle in 2015: ‘I wasn't into the idea at all at first. I think I came off as a bit annoyed in the video. Now, it's the bane of my existence.’
But it’s the reaction to anything Emily says about the Blurred Lines video that’s particularly concerning right now. In fact, anything Emily says at all. Because what we’ve noticed with the model turned entrepreneur, is that she is routinely dismissed or invalidated whenever she chooses to speak up about anything serious.
In the eight years since Emily shot to fame, she has grown beyond being known simply for being beautiful and become an activist in her own right. A business owner, author and outspoken feminist, Emily has fronted campaigns for Planned Parenthood, wrote powerful essays on sexual agency and spoken at presidential campaign rallies encouraging women to vote.
Emily routinely stands up for the ways in the modelling industry, and Hollywood in general, exploits women – her new book described as a ‘profoundly personal exploration of feminism, sexuality, and power, of men's treatment of women and women's rationalizations for accepting that treatment.’
Yet, despite all her best efforts, she still cannot escape the enduring criticism that she is somehow dumb, or less valuable to society, purely because her notoriety was born from witnessing her semi-naked body.
Emily Ratajkowski’s experience proves that women cannot be seen as sexual beings and also be taken seriously.
Emily Ratajkowski’s experience represents the ultimate catch-22 for women: we cannot be seen as sexual beings and also be taken seriously. We cannot post semi-nude pictures (which, by the way, aren’t inherently sexual based on nudity alone) and still share our wisdom with the world. With the mere sight of our unclothed skin, our brains simply cease to be valuable.
She may have capitalised on her beauty - as one would in a world where being attractive is one of few privileges women may have – but Emily certainly didn’t create the standards that seek to put her on that pedestal. The irony is then, even when women are in a privileged position of meeting the standards men set for our value to society, our value as intelligent speakers declines.
That thought is markedly more daunting when you consider Emily’s accusation today. Despite bravely sharing this traumatic allegation, the narrative about her character that serves to dismisses so much of what she says has prevailed.
On social media, people are 'victim-blaming' Emily for being semi-nude on set, sharing unnecessary comments about how ‘unsurprising’ it all is given the nature of the song (an opinion that while validating Emily’s experience with Thicke, could easily undermine her confidence) and even implying she should be grateful to him for including her in the video at all.
It’s times like this when the sexist narratives formed around female celebrities do genuine harm to all women. Just as Emily will likely see this reaction and feel gaslit, invalidated and potentially further traumatised, countless other women will too. Regardless of the outcome of this particular allegation, men who have committed sexual assault will be validated and in turn those who are yet to will only learn that violence can, and will, be excused.
The responses to Emily’s allegation feed the culture that allows male violence to thrive out of the notion that some women are less deserving than others, more naïve than others or owe men consent by virtue of being attractive. It’s time to stop dismissing Emily Ratajkowski at all. More than ever, she needs our empathy and support now.
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