In a new interview, the 'Selma' actor shares that his designer friend and her children took refuge with him after the scandal broke.
- May 11, 2018
AceShowbiz - David Oyelowo became a "first responder" for Georgina Chapman after the sexual abuse scandal against her husband Harvey Weinstein broke. In a new interview, he revealed that Georgina and her children took refuge with him after the scandal broke.
"I kind of found myself in a first-responder capacity," David told Vogue magazine. "My wife and I were right there with her two kids, and this catastrophe was unfolding in real time across the globe, literally your worst nightmare in terms of a marriage, in terms of the future of your kids and your business. And none of this was your own doing and yet you are entirely lumped into it."
"The thing that was the most difficult to witness was that she quite rightly took the stance of not going out there and defending herself, because there was just too much white noise and too much bile headed in her general direction. She felt, How dare I raise my head and say, 'Oh, by the way, I'm suffering too?'"
The Marchesa designer and "Selma" star first became friends after meeting 25 years ago at a college in Hull, England she had visited with the intent of studying acting. While Georgina never pursued her Hollywood dream, she stayed in touch with David, and the Golden Globe nominee was one of her first port of calls when the exposes about Weinstein's sexual abuse and harassment were published last year.
David isn't the only showbiz friend that Georgina turned to as her marriage broke down. She also sought comfort from Karen Elson, and the singer and model admitted she hates it when people assume the designer knew about her spouse's behaviour.
"The thing that pains me is that when anyone finds out that I know George, that's the first thing they say," Karen said. "Like she is somehow responsible for his hideous behavior. When I say, 'Well, actually she didn't know,' it becomes this other judgment: 'How could she not have known?' Or: 'Well, that's on her if she didn't.' It's so complicated."
