Baby Driver actor Ansel Elgort has denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl in 2014.
On Friday morning, in a post which has now been deleted, a user known as 'Gabby' had claimed that Elgort - then aged 20 himself - had "sexually assaulted" her six years ago in a New York hotel.
"So when it happened, instead of asking me if I wanted to stop having sex knowing it was my first time and I was sobbing in pain and I didn't want to do it, the only words that came out of his mouth were 'we need to break you in.' I WASN'T there in that moment mentally," she wrote.
"I disassociated myself and just felt like my mind was gone. I was in shock. I couldn't leave. I was only 5'2 and 98 pounds. He made me think this is how sex was supposed to be. I WAS SO YOUNG AND HE KNEW THAT."
In response, Elgort took to social media on Saturday morning to deny the charges levelled aimed at him, while revealing that he had had a relationship with 'Gabby' but handled their breakup immaturely.
"I was distressed to see the social media posts about me that have been circulating in the past 24 hours," he wrote. "I cannot claim to understand Gabby's feelings but her depiction of events is simply not what happened.
"I have never and would never assault anyone. What is true is that in New York in 2014, when I was 20, Gabby and I had a brief, legal and entirely consensual relationship. Unfortunately, I did not handle the breakup well.
"I stopped responding to her, which is an immature and cruel thing to do to someone. I know this belated apology does not absolve me of my unacceptable behavior when I disappeared.
"As I look back at my attitude, I am disgusted and deeply ashamed of the way I acted. I am truly sorry. I know I must continue to reflect, learn, and work to grow in empathy."
Prior to coronavirus lockdown, Elgort had been working on a new big-screen version of West Side Story with Steven Spielberg.
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