--- title: Gabrielle Union's Response to Nate Parker, Birth of a Nation description: The actress and survivor says 90% of the response has been positive, but 10% think she's a rape apologist or threw Nate Parker under the bus canonical: https://time.com/4487846/gabrielle-union-birth-nation-rape/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-12T18:39:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:57:45.718Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Gabrielle Union on her sex-assault and The Birth of a Nation og:description: Gabrielle Union on her sexual assault story and The Birth of a Nation og:url: https://time.com/4487846/gabrielle-union-birth-nation-rape/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1324e35c242eec63/6988a5870a4a225f8e9cb374/gabrielle-union-sexual-assault-nate-parker.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: 2016 Toronto International Film Festival - "The Birth Of A Nation" Premiere og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Gabrielle Union on her sex-assault and The Birth of a Nation twitter:description: Gabrielle Union on her sexual assault story and The Birth of a Nation twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1324e35c242eec63/6988a5870a4a225f8e9cb374/gabrielle-union-sexual-assault-nate-parker.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Gabrielle Union on Her Sexual Assault Op-Ed: 'We’re All Craving Acknowledgment' > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Sep 12, 2016 6:39 PM UTC  Gabrielle Union attends the 'The Birth of a Nation' Red Carpet Premiere during the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival premiere at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 9, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. Gabrielle Union attends the 'The Birth of a Nation' Red Carpet Premiere during the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival premiere at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 9, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. Walter McBride—FilmMagic  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Sep 12, 2016 6:39 PM UTC “Tremendous.” That’s how actress Gabrielle Union — [speaking](http://www.vulture.com/2016/09/gabrielle-union-on-sexual-assault-the-birth-of-a-nation.html?mid=twitter%5Fvulture) at the Toronto Film Festival — described the response to an op-ed she wrote about her upcoming film _The Birth of a Nation_, the controversy surrounding director and star Nate Parker, and her own history of sexual assault. The critically lauded film, which [received a standing ovation at the film festival](http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/09/nate-parker-birth-nation), has become the [center of a firestorm](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/opinion/sunday/nate-parker-and-the-limits-of-empathy.html?%5Fr=0) following revelations that Parker was [accused and acquitted](http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-nate-parker-birth-sexual-assault-press-conference-toronto-20160911-snap-story.html) of sexual assault in 1999. In _The Birth of a Nation_, Union plays a woman who is raped and stays silent afterwards. [For her _Los Angeles Times_ op-ed](http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-union-nate-parker-birth-nation-rape-allegation-20160902-snap-story.html), she wrote of how she was raped at gunpoint in a Payless Shoes—and said she took the role because she thought it was important to represent the lack of power and control that women, especially black women, have over their own bodies. She expressed confusion and concern over the allegations against Turner by a woman who committed suicide four years ago. “As important and ground-breaking as this film is, I cannot take these allegations lightly,” she wrote. “But I believe that the film is an opportunity to inform and educate so that these situations cease to occur on college campuses, in dorm rooms, in fraternities, in apartments or anywhere else young people get together to socialize.” At the film festival, Union described an outpouring of support from survivors, fans and women in Hollywood. “I think we’re all craving acknowledgment that we’re real, that we exist, that we live among you, that we are your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your lovers,” she told New York Magazine. She has heard some criticism, though. While about 90 percent of the people she heard from were supportive, “five percent feels I threw Nate under the bus and 5 percent feels I’m a rape apologist. I strongly encourage those two five percents to talk to each other. I think everyone takes something different away from the conversation,” she said. “Every time I talk about sexual violence I want to puke. There’s never been a time in the last 23 years where I did not want to vomit, but my personal discomfort is nothing compared to being a voice for people who feel absolutely voiceless and powerless.” Here are her full comments to [_New York Magazine_](http://www.vulture.com/2016/09/gabrielle-union-on-sexual-assault-the-birth-of-a-nation.html?mid=twitter%5Fvulture): --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4487846/gabrielle-union-birth-nation-rape/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4487846/gabrielle-union-birth-nation-rape/"},"headline":"Gabrielle Union on Her Sexual Assault Op-Ed: 'We’re All Craving Acknowledgment'","datePublished":"2016-09-12T18:39:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:57:45.718Z","description":"The Birth of a Nation actress says response has been overwhelmingly positive, but that the 10 percent who disagree need \"to talk to each other\"","url":"https://time.com/4487846/gabrielle-union-birth-nation-rape/","keywords":["movies","Living","Sexual Assault","Rape Culture"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1324e35c242eec63/6988a5870a4a225f8e9cb374/gabrielle-union-sexual-assault-nate-parker.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1324e35c242eec63/6988a5870a4a225f8e9cb374/gabrielle-union-sexual-assault-nate-parker.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"2016 Toronto International Film Festival - \"The Birth Of A Nation\" Premiere","caption":"2016 Toronto International Film Festival - \"The Birth Of A Nation\" Premiere","creditText":"Walter McBride—FilmMagic","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4487846/gabrielle-union-birth-nation-rape/","name":"Gabrielle Union on Her Sexual Assault Op-Ed: 'We’re All Craving Acknowledgment'"}}]}] ```