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West Side Story received many nominations for the Oscars 2022, but people are not happy with it. This is mainly because of the sexual assault and rape allegations on the protagonist Ansel Elgort.

Since it was revealed that Elgort would play the role of Tony in the 2021 adaptation of the classics, he has faced massive backlash for it.

Many accused him of being a predator and Steven Spielberg for enabling him. But by the time accusations rose, Elgort had already been cast, and they had wrapped filming.

All the allegations started from a Twitter account, and to date, Elgort has denied it.

Here is everything you need to know about accusations of sexual assault against the actor. 

Ansel Elgort posing for a picture with his favorite tea brand

Ansel Elgort posing for a picture with his favorite tea brand. (Source: Instagram)

Allegations of Sexual Assault

It all started on June 19, 2020, when a Twitter user named @Itsgabby posted a statement accusing Elgort of assault. She claimed the actor assaulted her when he was 20, and she was 17.

The alleged assault happened in 2014 after she slid into his DM. She was a fan of his, and she took to Instagram messages before her 17th birthday to text him.

She did not think he would respond, but he did and allegedly gave her his private Snapchat account. Then, the two met in person, but the girl did not want to get intimate with Elgort. 

It was reportedly her first time, and she was "sobbing in pain." But she claimed Elgort continued to assault her and ignored her pain. 

Other allegations include Elgort asking @Itsgabby for nudes and a threesome with her underage friend. In her statement, @Itsgabby claimed she had PTSD and panic attacks because of the incident.

Furthermore, she claimed to be in therapy and was finally healing from the sexual assault. Finally, she ended her statement, indicating that other girls had gone through the same as her at the hands of Elgort. 

She uploaded a picture of her and Elgort as proof alongside the statement. Similarly, she also posted a screenshot of DMs from 2014 where Elgort allegedly gave her his Snapchat username.

The statement of allegations, picture, and screenshot has since been deleted. Regardless, her tweets gained traction, and many other users on Twitter surfaced with more accusations against the actor. 

Their story was like @Itsgabby — they were minors, and Elgort gave them his Snapchat to them.  

Ansel Elgort's Denial 

The day after the allegations against the actor went viral, Elgort took to Instagram to address it. He denied everything and claimed there was no sexual assault.

He wrote he was "distressed to see the social media posts" about him and said he had " never and would never assault anyone." Similarly, he said the events portrayed by @Itsgabby were not true.

He confirmed the two had a relationship and got intimate, but it was consensual. However, he "did not handle the breakup well" when they parted ways.

He did not respond to her, which Elgort admitted was "an immature and cruel thing to do to someone." He said he was disgusted by his attitude, but the allegations against him were false. 

He ended by promising to "reflect, learn, and work to grow in empathy." The statement has since been deleted from his Instagram.

Many supported the actor and believed in him. However, he continues to face backlash to date for the accusations, which seem to be forever imprinted on him.