Florence Pugh Calls on Male Peers to Condemn Cornell After Gang Rape Lawsuit: ‘Stop Damaging Our Souls’

Florence Pugh penned a lengthy letter on Sunday, criticizing Cornell University for allegedly protecting seven men accused of gang rape in a recent lawsuit filed by a former student. In her statement, Pugh urged male peers to speak out against the "soul-destroying" allegations. "After reading about the young woman who was gang raped at her college by her friend and school peers, I'm feeling uneasy and sick and anxious," Pugh wrote.

"This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us. You need to be leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behaviour as much as we are. How can you expect us to trust that it's 'not all men' when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?" The lawsuit, filed by an anonymous former Cornell student, alleges that the Chi Pi fraternity failed to protect her and prevent the assault, which allegedly occurred in 2024.

The claimant states that she visited the fraternity house while intoxicated, where two fraternity brothers allegedly pressured her into snorting a substance they claimed was ketamine before sexually assaulting her. After reporting the incident to university police, an investigation led to only two of the seven accused fraternity members being expelled, while the others received lesser punishments such as suspensions, workshops and essays.

Pugh emphasized that every individual who knew or heard about the incident should be held accountable, stating, "To know that a torture as violent as rape is about to happen 'upstairs' and not do ANYTHING ABOUT IT, is sick, cowardly and cold."