Emily Deschanel reveals sexual harassment on the set

As a tough forensic anthropologist in “Bones – the bone hunter”, Emily Deschanel (48) from 2005 to 2017 was one of the strongest female serial characters. Now she tells of a disturbing sexist experience on the set that she had to experience during one of her first acting roles and was initially too frightened to defend herself.

In conversation with her former colleague from “Bones” Carla Gallo (50), she revealed the attack of a male colleague: “That was my first real acting job. And I stood in front of the camera and was totally nervous on the first day, and he just put his hand on my butt, and I just thought: ‘Just continue with the scene’.”

Since the sister of “New Girl” TV star Zooey Deschanel (45) was at the very beginning of her career, she thought that this hammer would now constantly hover. His touch was not part of the scene, she clarifies. “But the camera couldn’t see it. It was like a little power game from him opposite me.”

At the next recording she said nothing again because “I was paralyzed with fear”. Deschanel was only 23 years old and she lacked “necessary self -confidence”. The torture never ended. “Then he sniffed my hair in a really creepy way and continued such things throughout the scene.” Only then did she find the courage to stop him. “Never do that again,” she hissed at him. “And he didn’t.” She hides which film and colleagues were.

“I was afraid of such afraid,” the 48-year-old admits in retrospect. “I think it’s something like abuse and I don’t want to use this word lightly because it is only a small abuse,” said the American. “People experience a lot of worse in life. But I think there is a psychological thing where you want to normalize it for these people. Even if you are the victim, you say: ‘No, that’s okay’.”