>>DAVID BLAINE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF RAPE BY A FORMER MODEL, THIS
IS COMING FROM THE DAILY BEAST, HERE ARE THE DETAILS --
>>BLAINE'S ATTORNEY MARTY SINGER HAS DENIED ANY ALLEGATIONS,
ALTHOUGH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THEY KNEW EACH OTHER AT ONE POINT.
THE ALLEGATIONS ARE GRAPHIC, SHE SAYS SHE WAS AT A PARTY AND SHE
WAS FLIRTING WITH BLAINE AND AT ONE POINT IN TIME THEY WENT UP
TO HAVE A DRINK AND THE NEXT THING SHE KNEW HE WAS ANALLY
PENETRATING HER, SHE SAYS I FELT I WAS LIMP AND VERY FLOATY, IN
AND OUT OF SLEEP.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THERE IS NO STATUTE
OF LIMITATIONS FOR SEX CRIMES IN BRITAIN AND WHEN IT COMES TO
EVIDENCE SHE POINTS TO A CONVERSATION SHE HAD WITH AN
EX-BOYFRIEND, BUT WHO WAS HER BOYFRIEND AT THE TIME IN 2004 --
>> I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, YOU HEAR THIS A LOT FROM
SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT --
>> I THINK WHAT IS PARTICULARLY
TROUBLING ABOUT WHAT WE ARE
HEARING SO EARLY ON IS THE LAWYER REPRESENTING DAVID
BLAINE, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO REPRESENT JOHN TRAVOLTA, BILL
COSBY, CHARLIE SHEEN, SAID IN A PHONE CALL, ANYONE CAN MAKE A
CLAIM, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS HARVEY WEINSTEIN THING.
IT'S
ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT SHE MADE THIS CLAIM A FULL YEAR BEFORE
THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN PIECE CAME OUT, I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY
INDELICATE FOR THE LAWYER OF SOMEONE ACCUSED TO JUST REFER TO
ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AS THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN THING.
WE
KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS STORY, BUT
WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE TO THESE ALLEGATIONS?
DID YOU IMMEDIATELY
CORRELATE IT TO THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN THING?
ASKED THE
LAWYER'S COMMENTS STRUCK ME AS HIM TRYING TO MUDDY THE WATER,
AND TO DO IT IN AN INDELICATE WAY WOULD BE A POLITE WAY TO PUT
IT, IT'S REALLY A CRUDE WAY.
THIS WOMAN HAS BEEN TRAUMATIZED,
SHE'S COMING FORWARD RELUCTANTLY, WHICH IS HOW SO
MANY OF THESE VICTIMS COME FORWARD, AND TO ROLL HER INTO
THE EXISTING ATMOSPHERE, THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN THING, I
THOUGHT IT WAS RUDE.
SHE ALSO TELLS A BELIEVABLE STORY AND
IT'S INTERESTING -- IT'S FUNNY, WHEN WE GOT TO THE PART WHERE
SHE TALKS ABOUT HAVING AN INTEREST IN DAVID BLAINE, IT
THEN MADE IT MURKY A LITTLE BIT FOR ME.
I'M THINKING I DON'T
QUITE UNDERSTAND, THEN --
I NEED CLARITY, MAYBE I CAN GET CLARITY FROM YOU GUYS ON THIS.
>> I THINK THAT IS PRETTY COMMON.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE CONSENT
AT EVERY STAGE OF THE PROCESS.
YOU CAN HAVE AN INTEREST IN
SOMEONE, YOU CAN EVEN BE FLIRTING WITH SOMEONE, YOU CAN
GO OVER TO THEIR HOUSE EXPECTING TO BECOME INTIMATE WITH THAT
PERSON, BUT THAT PERSON HAS TO HAVE YOUR CONSENT IN ORDER TO
PENETRATE.
SORRY FOR BEING GRAPHIC BUT THAT'S --
>>THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT ANAL PENETRATION HERE, THAT'S A
SERIOUS THING.
>> I APPLAUD YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION BECAUSE WE NEED TO
CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE ARE COMFORTABLE ASKING,
THERE ARE SOME MEN WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND AND WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT CONSENT MEANS.
>>IT EXPLAINED WHY SHE DIDN'T GO TO THE COPS.
YOU ALWAYS HEAR
THAT, IF IT WAS SO BAD WHY DIDN'T YOU GO TO THE COPS?
SHE
WAS TRYING TO SAY MY EMOTIONS WERE MUDDIED, I KNEW I WAS
VIOLATED, YOU CAN SAY SOMETHING WEIRD HAPPENED, THAT WAS
ACCORDING TO THE BOYFRIEND, SHE DIDN'T GO TO THE COPS BECAUSE
SHE LIKED THE GUY.
>>YOU CREATE A NARRATIVE IN YOUR HEAD, YOU CREATE WAYS TO DEAL
WITH IT, YOU CREATE WAYS TO GRIEVE, AND SOMETIMES THAT LOOKS
LIKE SEARCHING FOR THINGS YOU COULD'VE DONE DIFFERENTLY.
AND I
THINK WHAT SHE SAID IS SO TRUE FOR A LOT OF WOMEN.
>>ESPECIALLY HER INNER MONOLOGUE, SHE SAYS THE MORNING
AFTER SHE WAS DOING A PHOTO SHOOT AND SHE SAYS WELL SHE WAS
IN THE MAKEUP CHAIR SHE WAS ASKING YOURSELF QUESTIONS LIKE,
WHAT DID I DO LAST NIGHT?
THAT I HAVE SEX WITH DAVID BLAINE?
I
DIDN'T WANT TO.
JUST FEELING HAZY AND OUT OF IT, KNOWING SHE
DIDN'T GIVE CONSENT, BUT SHE WAS INTO HIM, I UNDERSTAND WHY IT
CAN BE A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION TO HAVE BECAUSE CONSENT IS A
HARD THING TO DEFINE, BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO DEFINE.
A LOT OF
PEOPLE SAY DO I HAVE TO ASK, CAN I PLEASE KISS YOU HERE, WE ARE
NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS NO OR THEY AREN'T
ABLE TO GIVE CONSENT, WHEN THEY ARE INTOXICATED OR ASLEEP OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE IT.
CONSENT CAN NEVER
BE ASSUMED, IT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY, IT CAN NEVER BE ASSUMED.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER.
AND IF HEARTBREAKING
STORIES LIKE THIS COMING FORWARD CAUSE US TO HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS AND RAISE A BETTER GENERATION WHEN IT COMES TO
CONSENT, THAT IT'S JUST PAR FOR THE COURSE WHEN IT COMES TO ANY
RELATIONSHIP, INTIMATE OR OTHERWISE, THEN THAT'S A SILVER
LINING.
>> THAT'S A GREAT POINT, EVEN THIS SWEET MODEL WHO GOT INTO
THIS THING, EVEN IF THAT DOESN'T TURN OUT TO BRING A COURT CASE
OR EVEN IF THERE ARE ISSUES SURROUNDING THIS THAT LEAVE US
SHORT OF WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CONCLUSION RESULT, I
THINK GRACE MESA GREAT POINT.
IT HELPS INCREMENTALLY ANYWAY
CHANGE THE WAY WE LOOK AT THE WAY THESE SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS
HAPPEN WITHOUT CONSENT, SO CONSENT, THE ISSUE OF CONSENT
STARTS TO BE DISCUSSED MORE.
>>ALL OF THESE THINGS ON TAP OF EACH OTHER HELP US DO THAT.
JUST
LOOKING BACK TO, OVER THE PAST YEAR, WITH ROGER AILES, BILL
O'REILLY, THE DONALD TRUMP ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TO IT, I SEE
THIS MOMENTUM AND IT'S ALLOWING US TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
>>THESE ARE PROGRESSIVE CONVERSATIONS, AND THIS IS A
PROGRESSIVE NETWORK, SO I WANT TO CELEBRATE, EVEN WHEN IT COMES
ON THE HEELS OF SOMETHING AWFUL, THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS THAT I BELIEVE MOVE US FORWARD.