Bush apologizes after actress accused him of groping her
Incident allegedly happened four years ago while they were posing for a photo
Former President George H.W. Bush apologized Wednesday in a statement in which his representatives said “he has patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner.”
The admission came after actress Heather Lind, in a now-deleted Instagram post, said that four years ago the president had touched her “from behind” while she posed for a photo with him.
She joins other prominent women who have come forward in recent weeks to accuse prominent men of sexual assault and harassment. “He didn’t shake my hand. He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife, Barbara Bush, by his side. He told me a dirty joke. And then, all the while being photographed, touched me again,” Lind reportedly wrote in her post. “Barbara rolled her eyes as if to say ‘not again.’ His security guard told me I shouldn’t have stood next to him for the photo.”
In a statement, Bush’s camp put its own spin on the interaction and said that it was not an isolated incident:
“At age 93, President Bush has been confined to a wheelchair for roughly five years, so his arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures,” the statement said.
“To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke —and on occasion, he has patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner. Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate. To anyone he has offended, president Bush apologizes most sincerely.”
“My fellow castmates and producers helped me that day and continue to support me,” Lind wrote, using the hashtag #metoo, which women have used to share their experiences with sexual harassment and assault. “I am grateful for the bravery of other women who have spoken up and written about their experiences.
“What comforts me is that I, too, can use my power, which isn’t so different from a president really,” she wrote. “I can enact positive change. I can actually help people. I can be a symbol of my democracy. I can refuse to call him president, and call out other abuses of power when I see them.”
Lind said she decided to talk about the incident after seeing a photo of Bush and former president Barack Obama shaking hands at an event last weekend. The two, along with three other ex-presidents, appeared at a benefit concert Saturday in Texas to raise money for hurricane victims.
“He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife Barbara Bush by his side.” HEATHER LIND WROTE IN NOW-DELETED INSTAGRAM POST
“I found it disturbing because I recognize the respect ex-presidents are given for having served,” Lind said. “And I feel pride and reverence toward many of the men in the photo.”
Asecond actress, Jordana Grolnick, told the sports news site Deadspin that the former president had also touched her inappropriately her during a photo and told a joke.
“He reached his right hand around to my behind, and as we smiled for the photo he asked the group, ‘Do you want to know who my favourite magician is?’ ” she said. “As I felt his hand dig into my flesh, he said, ‘David Cop-a-Feel!’ ” With files from The Washington Post