Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner is defending a controversial sexual assault scene that was an important part of her character’s storyline arc on the HBO series.
In an interview with Flaunt, Turner admitted that some of the scenes she previously filmed for the series were out of her emotional grasp. She began on the series as Sansa Stark at the age of 14 until she was 23.
Looking back on some of those scenes, Turner admitted, “When I was younger, I think there was a scene in season one or two where my character narrowly escapes a rape. I didn’t fully understand it, I was trying to figure it out in my young, little head.”
However, as she continued in the role, Turner’s Sansa was again sexually assaulted, this time by her husband Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). She was 19 when that episode was filmed.
She admits to having more of a grasp of what was happening: at the time, including the backlash the episode received.
“I did feel—and still do—that Game of Thrones shone a light on things that many people were like ‘Oh god, you can’t show that kind of thing’—and I understand it can be triggering—I totally understand that point of view,” Turner admitted.
“But I did feel we were actually doing a lot of justice to women and the fight women have had to fight for hundreds of thousands of years—the patriarchy, being treated as objects, and being constantly sexually assaulted—I don’t think there’s one woman I know who hasn’t had a form of that.”
She concluded, “We don’t [talk about] it enough—we shy away from it,” she says. “I think if Game of Thrones came out today, we’d definitely put some trigger warnings on there,” she says. “But I’m really proud to have been a part of Game of Thrones, where they didn’t shy away from showing atrocities that happened to women back then. I feel proud to have been part of the conversation.”
Turner has two new projects pending: a drama called Steal and a period gothic horror film, The Dreadful, alongside her former Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington.