'Mockingjay' star Jena Malone reflects on sexual assault by co-worker: 'I've worked very hard to heal'
Jena Malone is learning to find the light in the darkness of her past.
The “Hunger Games” actress – who starred in 2013’s “Catching Fire,” 2014’s “Mockingjay - Part 1” and 2015’s “Mockingjay - Part 2” – opened up about a painful experience she had while filming the dystopian franchise’s final film in an Instagram post Tuesday.
“This photo was taken right after I wrapped Mockingjay Part Two and I had to say goodbye to everyone on set,” Malone wrote of the throwback pic, which shows her standing alone in the middle of a field in France. “Even (though) this time in Paris was extremely hard for me, was going (through) a bad break up and also was sexually assaulted by someone I had worked with, I was so full of gratitude for this project, the people I became close with and this amazing part I got to play.”
She added: “A swirling mix of emotions (I’m) only now just learning to sort (through). I wish it wasn’t tied to such a traumatic event for me but that is the real wildness of life I guess. How to hold the chaos with the beauty. I’ve worked very hard to heal and learn (through) restorative justice, how to make peace with the person who violated me and make peace with myself.”
Malone, who starred as Johanna Mason in the Lionsgate film series, did not name her assailant in the post.
USA TODAY has reached out to Lionsgate’s representatives for comment.
“It’s been hard to talk about The Hunger Games and Johanna Mason without feeling the sharpness of this moment in time but I’m ready to move (through) it and reclaim the joy and accomplishment I felt,” Malone concluded her post. “Lots of love to you survivors out there. The process is so slow and non linear.”
This isn’t the first time Malone has used social media for catharsis. In August, Malone opened up about her queer sexuality in an Instagram post, describing herself as a "heterosexual man in a woman's body."
"Finding words that feel more right to explore in my telling. Pansexuality. Sapiosexuality. Polyamory," Malone wrote at the time. "A fuller spectrum of understanding that my story is demanding of me. And I’m honoring it today with this soft and sleepy little stretch of a dance. I love humans. So there’s that."
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE and online.rainn.org).
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Contributing: USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jena Malone: 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay' actress reveals sexual assault
