Patricia Arquette Slams Angela Lansbury For Blaming Sexual Assault Victims

American actress Patricia Arquette lashed out at English-born British-American-Irish actress Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury, 92, for saying that women should partially be held accountable for instances of harassment.

In an interview with Radio Times published Tuesday, Lansbury said: “There are two sides to this coin. We have to own up to the fact that women, since time immemorial, have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive. And unfortunately, it has backfired on us — and this is where we are today. We must sometimes take blame, women. I really do think that. Although it’s awful to say we can’t make ourselves look as attractive as possible without being knocked down and raped.”

Arquette was quick to react to the news and slammed Lansbury for blaming sexual assault victims. To clarify her stance, Arquette shared an article, originally published by a Fox-affiliated television station, Fox17 news in which a Nashville, Tennessee, father plead guilty to raping a 3-month-old baby after his wife reported him to the police after finding cell phone images of 39-year-old Micheal Delk raping the baby.

In continuation of her previous tweet, Arquette then also clarified that no matter how young or old one is or how beautiful or homely, rapists rape.

Check out her tweets here.

However, Lansbury in her interview also clarified saying that she does not believe harassment is exculpatory. “Should women be prepared for this? No, they shouldn’t have to be! There’s no excuse for that. And I think it will stop now — it will have to. I think a lot of men must be very worried at this point,” she said.

The Radio Times interview by Lansbury sparked serious rage on Twitter as many users rebuked her for her statement.

A Twitter user named Mitra Jouhari tweeted: “Up until this morning, Angela Lansbury was the source of ALL of my social/political views. I am absolutely devastated that she is not the 24-year-old feminist I thought she was. I thought Angela Lansbury was me.”

Another user Johnny McVey wrote that Lansbury’s age does not give her a free pass. “My Gran is 88 years old and would never suggest that rape victims "must sometimes take the blame." Angela Lansbury's age doesn't give her a free pass,” he tweeted.

However, Lansbury’s statement also garnered support from one user named Laura tweeted saying that Lansbury has said exactly what anyone’s parents would tell them. Laura also defended Lansbury by saying that her statement is not about victim blaming but common sense.

“All Angela Lansbury really did was tell women & girls what your parents have told you for years, ‘Don’t go out of the house like that, put some clothes on.’ It’s not victim blaming, it’s common sense. You also shouldn’t go for a walk up ATM at 2 a.m. or drive in bad neighborhoods,” she tweeted.