Mia Goth is getting sued for assault. What does this say about us?

If you’re out of the loop, you might’ve missed the fact that scream queen Mia Goth is currently facing a lawsuit for allegedly kicking a background actor in the head.

James Hunter, the background actor, is also suing entertainment company A24 and director Ti West for wrongful termination. Hunter claims that following the physical incident, Goth followed him into the bathroom to taunt him, daring him to do anything about the scenario. Hunter is seeking $500,000 in total for the damages.

The alleged incident, which took place on the set of West and Goth’s upcoming film, “MaXXXine,” immediately stirred controversy online. Following the news of the lawsuit, many people were quick to label Goth as an “abuser” and “canceled.”

As I continue to watch this situation unravel, I can’t help but think about how quick people are to jump to conclusions when anyone in the public eye faces allegations such as this.

There’s no need for evidence anymore. All it takes is a bit of “he said, she said,” and suddenly the entire internet is set out to cancel someone — the modern day equivalent to an angry mob with pitchforks and torches.

Am I saying that these allegations are always false? Absolutely not. But I do believe that consumers of entertainment and content need to be more rational; immediately jumping the gun doesn’t benefit anyone or solve anything.

Let me level with you: anybody can file a lawsuit. Just because a lawsuit is filed doesn’t mean the defendant is automatically guilty.

Take the assault trial Amy Winehouse faced in 2009, for instance. A burlesque dancer accused Winehouse of deliberately hitting her in the face. When the judge delivered his verdict, he said, “having heard the evidence from all the witnesses, I cannot be sure that this was not an accident,” and Winehouse was proven innocent.

That’s exactly what I think happened between Hunter and Goth: an accident.

When the alleged kicking took place, Hunter was laying on the ground, playing a dead body. Goth was supposed to step over him; during the multiple takes, she was warned about nearly stepping on Hunter. Then, according to Hunter, Goth intentionally kicked him in the head.

To be quite frank, I don’t believe that Goth deliberately kicked Hunter. Perhaps he was kicked or stepped on, but I highly doubt it was on purpose. Not to mention, there would be a considerable amount of witnesses to this incident, none of whom have come forward.

What makes this story feel even more far-fetched is Hunter’s claim that Goth followed him into the bathroom to mock him. From what I understand about film sets, extras seldomly interact with stars outside of filming, let alone share a bathroom with them. I find it hard to believe that Goth would go out of her way to find Hunter in a separate bathroom just to harass him, especially considering how busy she’d be on set.

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As far as I know, Goth has no previous history of conflict with extras on any of the several sets she’s been on. This is her third time working with this specific crew, as “MaXXXine” is the third installment of West’s “X” trilogy.

I assume that if Goth was unpleasant to work with on set, something would’ve been said over the three years it's taken to shoot and release each installment. Not to mention, Hunter has provided no proof of this incident occurring.

This entire debacle feels like both a money grab and a way to tarnish Goth and West’s characters as well as A24’s reputation. It’s not an uncommon occurrence for people to sue celebrities in hopes of getting some cash.

This is seen time and time again, whether it be a man claiming that Gwyneth Paltrow intentionally crashed into him while skiing or a woman suing Lady Gaga over a reward for returning her stolen dogs.

The internet has allowed for the cesspool that is cancel culture to thrive. There’s a horrendous mob mentality when it comes to dragging an individual down, even if there’s no evidence to support the claims made against them.

That’s why I’ll continue to use my critical thinking skills as this situation unfolds, and I urge you to do the same in this and all future scenarios. If we’d take just a moment to think rationally, there wouldn’t be so much toxicity and counterproductivity online when it comes to accountability.

Media consumers gain nothing from thinking rashly in situations like this. People whose careers and reputations are at stake lose everything.

@_chloebowie_

southacr@miamioh.edu