Gone, but never forgotten, our favorite Star Wars babe, Carrie Fisher, reportedly sent a cow tongue to a Hollywood producer after her friend confided in Fisher about an unwanted incident with the man. When allegations of sexual assault about Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men of Hollywood came out, Heather Robinson, a friend of Fisher’s, decided it was time to share her story.
Earlier this month, screenwriter Heather Robinson spoke to the Arizona radio show, 94.9 the Morning Mix, and reported telling Carrie Fisher about the incident after it happened in an AOL chat room, where they first met, discussing the industry and her screenplays. Robinson never thought something like this would ever happen to her because she did not see herself as the typical Hollywood beauty ideal.
Robinson says in the interview with Morning Mix, “When it happened, it happened so quickly that I felt ashamed of myself.” The producer had been speaking to Robinson through phone and email about meeting and having a business discussion. When she finally agreed to meet with him, he picked her up in his car, and a few minutes later, pulled to the side of the road where Robinson reports, “He reaches over and grabs the handle chair of the passenger seat and pulls me backwards. All of a sudden he’s on top of me and he has his right hand that was busy, and his left hand was on my chest, by my neck, holding me down.” Robinson fought her way out of the producer’s car and ran. When she finally got home, she told her mom what happened and decided that it would be better to not make the incident public and remain silent.
In an email to NBC News, Robinson describes her conversation with Fisher after the assault, “She stayed quiet and listened to me and then she said, ‘I promise you he will never touch you again,’ she was exactly what I needed. Someone to just hold space for me — allowing me to be scared, hurt, confused, angry.”
Of course, Carrie Fisher did what any good friend would do. Fisher emailed Robinson, saying, “I just saw [blank] at Sony Studios. I knew he would probably be there, so I went to his office and personally delivered a Tiffany box wrapped with a white bow.”
Robinson continues, “It was a cow tongue from Jerry’s Famous Deli with a note that said, ‘If you ever touch my darling Heather or any other woman again, the next delivery will be something of yours in a much smaller box.” Carrie Fisher’s quick wit made her such an incredible asset in Hollywood, as well as someone anyone would want as their friend.
Continuing in Robinson’s email to NBC, she demonstrates how much Fisher meant to the people around her: “She had an amazing heart, if you were one of the lucky people that she loved, she loved you with everything she had. In her world, it was okay to feel vulnerable because she made you feel safe in doing so. That alone is a huge gift.”
Since Fisher’s message, Robinson has not seen or heard from the producer. It took her a long time to recover from the incident and regain self-worth. When the Weinstein scandal went public, Robinson wanted to join with the women coming together by sharing her experience of sexual assault in Hollywood.
“It allows us the power to speak out and share our stories and to connect with other people who many not be at the point where I am,” she said. “It’s truly an individual journey and some may never shed light on what happened to them, and that is okay. As long as they see that they are not alone.”
As more allegations of sexual assault come forward, more women are coming together to discuss their shared distaste for the commonly occurring incidents. The more people who come forward, the closer things get to change for the better. Carrie Fisher is an amazing example of women sticking up for each other, and while her methods were eccentric, to say the least, women should lead by Fisher’s example and stand up for each other through thick and thin. It is through banding together that change can be made.
Featured Image on Gage Skidmore on Flickr
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