Gemma Chan reveals she was a victim of sexual assault as she says attacks have become an epidemic

Gemma Chan has revealed she is a victim of sexual assault. The actress, 43, can currently be seen in Josephine, in which she plays Claire, the mother of the young titular character, who is left traumatised after witnessing a brutal assault in Golden Gate Park. Now Gemma has revealed that she was drawn to the film because she could identify with the subject, having been assaulted by a stranger while she was studying law at Oxford University in the Noughties. She explained: 'I could see a lot of myself in Claire, and elements of my mum and grandmother. I mean, I am a sexual assault survivor myself. 'It's not something I talk about a lot, but unfortunately it's very common - something like one in four women, one in eighteen men. And it's so underreported that the statistics are much lower than the reality. It's an epidemic.'Gemma did not go into detail discussing the incident but shared: 'I was walking home at night, and was followed after separating from my friends. I had only a little bit to go until I was home, less than 10 minutes.' Gemma Chan has revealed she was a victim of sexual assault while studying at Oxford University as she said attacks have become an epidemic Gemma stars in Josephine, in which she plays the mother of the young titular character, who is left traumatised after witnessing a brutal assault (pictured with Mason Reeves and Channing Tatum) Breaking down in tears, she told The Sunday Times that she reported the incident but the man was never found. Gemma added that through her work on Josephine she 'felt safe to really crack my heart open. It's not always like that.'She stars alongside Mason Reeves as her daughter Josephine and Channing Tatum as her husband Damien in the film. Gemma, who is in a relationship with actor Dominic Cooper, was the first person on board the project after director Beth de Araújo sent her the script in 2019.However, the Covid pandemic delayed production until 2024, with Gemma saying it was a 'small miracle that the film was made'. She told Variety of taking on the role: 'It was a big part of me wanting to be a part of the story and connecting to it emotionally. 'The world is a very dangerous place. Unfortunately, I know that and many people know that. It just really hit a raw nerve with me.'She added: 'I’m so proud of it. I wanted to do whatever I could to help the project get off the ground.'Gemma recently discussed the film industry as a whole, saying it's been a 'brutal' time due to a 'pushback against diversity'. Gemma, who is in a relationship with actor Dominic Cooper, said that she reported the incident but the man was never found (pictured with Dominic this month) The Crazy Rich Asians actress will soon be starring in the upcoming Anna May Wong biopic in which she will play the Chinese-American Hollywood icon.Speaking about the biopic and her expectations, she said: 'It's a brutal time for the industry. There is a certain pushback against diversity, but I also feel optimistic.'I think people are coming back to the cinema.'First announced in 2022, the biopic is being adapted from Graham Russell Gao Hodges' 2012 biography, Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend.Anna made history as Hollywood's very first Chinese-American movie star, but faced intense institutional racism. She is most known for films like Piccadilly (1929) and Shanghai Express (1932).Gemma first made a name for herself playing student Ruth in the first series of university sitcom Fresh Meat, where she met Jack Whitehall, whom she dated for six years. After her stint on the show, she has enjoyed huge success, starring in major Hollywood films including Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Crazy Rich Asians and a couple of Marvel films.More recently, she starred in The Creator, The Boy and the Heron and Don't Worry Darling.Gemma was also one of the 15 women chosen by Meghan Markle to appear on the cover of her guest-edited September 2019 issue of British Vogue. If you have been affected by anything in this story please call Rape Crisis England and Wales on 0808 500 2222 or use the online chat (both are free and are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year).