The Runaways’ Jackie Fox Criticizes Chrissie Hynde’s Comments About Rape

The Runaways’ Jackie Fox Criticizes Chrissie Hynde’s Comments About Rape

Over the weekend, an interview with Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde was published in The Sunday Times about her upcoming memoir Reckless: My Life As A Pretender. In it, she talks about her own sexual assault at the age of 21, and says some pretty damning, victim-blaming stuff. The remarks were widely criticized upon publication, and now Jackie Fox (née Fuchs) — who came forward recently about her assault during her time in the Runaways — has talked to Yahoo about Hynde’s recent statements:

“I found myself being surprisingly angry,” she told Yahoo. “…Don’t put your heroes on pedestals. But I don’t want to cast a stone at Chrissie Hynde — just at that one particular statement. Because it’s a really dangerous message.”

She also responded directly to a quote from Hynde in the interview that said: “You know, if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him.” Here’s Fox:

I think women probably shouldn’t wear high heels except on special occasions, but because it’s so bad for our backs and feet, not because it makes it hard to outrun a rapist. Are most of us really going to be able to outrun a rapist even in sneakers? And are rapists really going to look at a woman and think, ‘Nah, fuck it, she’s wearing flats’?

Fox went on:

It bothers me, because I don’t know that she’s gone out there and talked to [other] rape victims. If you had seen the messages that people sent me, so many of them were about ‘I’ve always thought it was my fault.’ We already think that anyway. So this is just telling people who’ve recently gone through this experience of being raped or abused, ‘Yeah, you’re right, it is your fault.’ But there’s no such thing as asking for it. And poor judgment is not an invitation to rape, nor an excuse for it.

“I know so many women who were raped while they were drunk or high, and they all blame themselves. To say that a woman can’t misjudge how much she’s drinking, or dress in a way that makes her feel good about herself for fear that men aren’t going to be able to control themselves, or that she has to be able to know who is dangerous and who isn’t, is asking an awful lot of men and women — especially young people.

You can read the full Yahoo article here.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, call the 24-hour National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673), or visit Rainn.org.

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