Amber Tamblyn Writes an Open Letter to James Woods After He Denied Trying to Pick Her Up When She Was 16
Amber Tamblyn is making sure her voice is heard after James Woods said she lied about him trying to pick her up when she was 16.
The 34-year-old actress wrote an open letter for Teen Vogue addressed to the 70-year-old actor in which she tells the full story of the night in question.
“My friend Billy and I were at the Roxy on Sunset Boulevard seeing a band we loved. We decided to go to Mel’s diner on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to get burgers after,” Tamblyn writes. “Upon leaving the restaurant we were stopped by you and your friend, who both seemed very nice. At one point you suggested we should all go to Las Vegas together. ‘It’s such a great place, have you ever been?’ You tried to make it sound innocent. This is something predatory men like to do, I’ve noticed.”
She continues, “I told you my age, kindly and with no judgment or aggression. I told you my age because I thought you would be immediately horrified and take back your offer. You laughed and said, ‘Even better. We’ll have so much fun, I promise.’ ”
The actress goes on to say that she wasn’t a well-known star at the time and can imagine why Woods can’t recall hitting on a public figure.
“But I wasn’t known then, James. I was just a girl,” she writes. “And I’m going to wager that there have been many girls who were just girls or women who were just women who you’ve done this to because you can get away with it.”
The actor tweeted the day of the allegation that the story was “a lie,” causing Tamblyn to post a text message from her friend recalling the story as proof.
Although Tamblyn writes it was a small incident, the actress is using the opportunity to point out “the nation’s harmful narrative of disbelieving women first, above all else” — and urge Woods to make a change in his own life.
“So it is with hope, Mr. Woods, that I ask you to go inward now and ask yourself the hard stuff,” she concludes. “Are you and your history with women and girls a part of the problem, Mr. Woods?”
Tamblyn first shared her story after Woods criticized the upcoming film Call Me By Your Name for featuring a 24-year-old grad student falling in love with his professor’s 17-year-old son. In response, Armie Hammer, who plays the older man in the film, called Woods out for dating a 19-year-old when Woods was 60. Tamblyn then responded to Hammer’s tweet and added her story.
