Emma Thompson removes her name from petition in support of Polanski

Actress Emma Thompson has removed her name from a petition condemning the attempt to extradite Roman Polanski to Los Angeles to face sentencing in a three-decade-old rape case.

Some top Hollywood stars and directors including Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen have voiced support for Polanski, the director who fled the U.S. before being sentenced for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.

According to the Independent newspaper in London, Thompson decided to pull her name off the petition after she met with Caitlin Hayward-Tapp, a student at Exeter University.

Hayward-Tapp told the paper she made her case about why signing the petition was a bad idea.

"It turned out she was very willing to hear what I had to say. She said she knows Roman Polanski and that she had had calls from friends asking her to sign the petition. She knows what a terrible early life he [Polanski] had," she told the paper. "She said she had already been thinking a lot about the petition, as others had expressed their dismay at her signing it. We talked for 15 minutes, and by the end she said she would get her name removed."

Polanski, 76, is fighting efforts to be sent back to the United States.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[(Exasperated) Reading Comprehension Teacher]

What a totally pointless "article." Why is Emma Thompson's opinion relevant one way or another, WHO is this student from a college in England and what group does she represent, WHY should we care, etc. etc.?

WHY is some student from Exeter University in the UK lobbying actresses like Emma Thompson to remove herself from the petition supporting Polanski? Is student with a rape victim support group, WHAT is the background of her interest? There are a lot of angles to this issue, including matters involving prosecutorial possible misconduct. Some student at a college in England who this "article" says spent 15 mins. with Thomson "explaining" her reasons - NOT given or even hinted at here - might have had a limited focus, but we have NO idea what that might have been from this "article."

[CJB]

Good for Ms. Thompson.

And good for Miss Hayward-Tapp for speaking truth to someone who probably never hears anything that isn't fawning or glowing.

[pancho]

after sharon tates death, doesn't give him the excuse to rape a 13 yearold!

[j3161usa]

What doesn't surprise me is that woody allen signed the petition. it seems that nobody cares that this man is a dirtbag as long has he keeps makin dem good'ol movies. But when you think about it, ol woody is quite craddle-robber himself! Wonder if he'd let his daughter stay overnight in polanski's house. Whats really ironic as that these same idiots whould have had Micheal Jackson fried! When it comes to these kinds of crimes--we need to put aside their career accomplishments--they are criminals who need to be punished like everyone else.

[steve frank]

Polanski is a rapist. he gave a 13 year old drugs and alcohol--no one is denying that.

Thompson, Allen and the rest of the rapist apologists are an embarrassment to all of us.

Polanski is a sick person--those supporting him are approving of rape. Shame on those who support Polanski and rape. It does not matter who the girl represents--Allen, Thompson and Scorsese represent rapist. Wonder what their wives and daughters think?

[Bill T]

It explains a few things about why some people support Polanski's position I can even agree, the guy had a tough early life, and we know he had another tough time with his wife and child being killed. It doesn't excuse rape or running away, it doesn't excuse the DA's behavior. But his friends are mindful of the past and got caught up in it.

Could the story be better? Absolutely. But it isn't totally pointless.

[karen]

Read the court transcripts before you find excuses with Polanski's hard-knock life. An unhappy childhood is not a free pass to rape.

The issues of prosecutorial misconduct do not exist. A fawning HBO documentary on Polanski raised faux "issues" after speaking to a prosecutor unconnected to the case who has since recanted his allegations of misconduct. FYI, most courts don't accept "evidence" as crap contained in movies.

The real issues are that Polanski drugged, sodomized and raped a thirteen year old child.

So, although this was a poorly written article, sadly lacking in expository detail, it is heartening that perhaps the student "explaining" to Ms. Thompson the facts in the case may have caused her to examine the transcripts and thus realize that she had been duped into signing the petition.

[Jack Worthing]

Oh my, how devastating. Looks like the Free Polanski movement will have to do without someone who can be talked out of it in 15 minutes.

[J in Pasadena]

Just to remind Exasperated, L.A. Now is made up of informal, blog-like posts. So it really doesn't make sense to call it a quote-article-unquote as if to demean its quality. Smart readers will already understand that information they read on the Net needs to pass through a knowledge filter, anyway.

Why the hubbub? Well, simply put, this is not only a crime issue but a women's rights issue. By treating Polanski with kids gloves it is demeaning the heinous nature of the attack and therefore objectifying women in the process. (No pun intended, by the way.)

As outgoing LAPD Chief Bill Bratton put it (paraphrased): "How would you like it if that was your daughter?"

[Uncle_vito]

For reasons like these I very seldom listen to what 'Hollywood' folks have to say.

They may be movie stars, but they are not very intelligent.

Vito

[Insane Twane]

Who cares?

[Dodger Tony]

I wonder why Jack Nicholson was never charged with a crime, seeing that this happened in his home.

[bob klinck]

One has to wonder what connection there is between Polanski's "terrible early life" and his drugging and raping a 13-year-old and being on the run for decades from serving time for his crime. One would think that having a terrible childhood would cause one to want other children to be spared terrible experiences.

[KatheM]

How convenient for Emma. She now has a viable reason to throw her friend under a bus.

[Dan]

Who is Emma Thomson anyway.

Guess she's a wobbler!!!!

[ferenc]

all of putanski's supporters shoul be deported to iraq. since most of them are jews, they would get what putanski shoul but won't get in from this arse kissing injustice system.

[michelle]

Good for Emma Thompson for being one to stand up for what is right. I wonder how many of those who signed the petition wished they haven't. There is a huge backlash against those who signed and seriously, how many of them actually knew the facts??

Maybe she thought about a 40+ year old man having sex with her daughter at 13 and changed her mind.

Maybe she was presented with the transcript of Samantha Greimers testimony.

Maybe she finally came to her senses that it isn't a good idea to sit on the side of a pedophile.

[theidahokid]

That scumbag should just waver extradition come back hire a fancy mouth piece, and get credit for time on the lam. Now that's a nice celebrity

[Really]

I had exactly the same thoughts as (Exasperated) Reading Comprehension Teacher expressed when I was reading the article. Completely incoherent, leaves you puzzled.

[Joemamabush]

One law for them and one law for all of us.Roman must meet justice or or laws already are poop. And I am being polite.

[Mark G]

And this is news...how?? And you wonder why you're losing subscribers.

[Bob]

So all that was to be talked about and hopefully get a role in the next Polanski movie. Now that the poor man is rotting in jail and might never make a film again, she has decided to remove her name ? Shame on you Emma, I will never see one of your films and never support one of your causes. Your are a disgrace to the film industry !

[TheBigPicture]

It's too late...She will be forever thought of as a pedophile sympathizer...whoever she is....

[Norm Silver]

Polanski continues his program of attempting to escape being held individually accountable for his pedophile misdeeds. Leopards never change theit spots and this predator is still out there in Europe acting like nothing happened and trying to portary himself as a victim. Anyone signing this petition is signalling they are as sick as he is.

[(Exasperated) Reader]

Dear (Exasperated) Reading Comprehension Teacher,

Thank you! I couldn't have said it better!

(Exasperated) Reader