The BBC Is Postponing Its Upcoming Special Ordeal By Innocence Amid Allegations Against Ed Westwick

Update: The BBC has announced that it has indefinitely postponed the premiere of its special Ordeal by Innocence, which stars Westwick. The BBC also announced that Westwick has "paused from filming" the next season of White Gold.

"These are serious allegations which Ed Westwick has strenuously denied," the BBC said in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly. "The BBC is not making any judgement, but until these matters are resolved, we will not include Ordeal by Innocence in the schedules. The independent production company making White Gold has informed us that Ed Westwick has paused from filming while he deals with these allegations."

Update, November 7, 2017, 7:45 p.m. EST: The LAPD has confirmed that it is investigating Kristina Cohen's allegation that Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick raped her, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

According to Deadline, Cohen filed a police report this morning. The outlet also reports that Cohen's close friend and sister have stated that she confided in them about the alleged rape shortly after it occurred.

Refinery29 has reached out to the LAPD for comment.

The rise in sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood continued this week when actress Kristina Cohen shared a disturbing Facebook post on Monday. In it, Cohen alleged that Ed Westwick raped her three years ago, providing vivid details about the incident. Westwick has since denied the allegations, saying he doesn't know Cohen and has "never committed rape."

Cohen wrote in the Facebook post that she was dating a producer who brought her to Westwick's house, marking the first time she met the Gossip Girl actor.

"I wanted to leave when Ed suggested 'we should all fuck'. But the producer didn't want to make Ed feel awkward by leaving. Ed insisted we stay for dinner. I said I was tired and wanted to leave, trying to get out of what was already an uncomfortable situation. Ed suggested I nap in the guest bedroom. The producer said we would stay for just another 20 more minutes to smooth everything over, and then we could leave," Cohen wrote on Facebook. "So I went and laid down in the guest room where I eventually fell asleep, I was woken up abruptly by Ed on top of me, his fingers entering my body. I told him to stop, but he was strong. I fought him off as hard as I could but he grabbed my face in his hands, shaking me, telling me he wanted to fuck me. I was paralysed, terrified. I couldn't speak, I could no longer move. He held me down and raped me."

To make things worse, Cohen wrote, the producer, whom she doesn't name, reportedly tried to blame her for the incident. She says he told her that she couldn't tell anyone, "because Ed will have people come after me, destroy me, and that I could forget about an acting career."

Westwick responded to the allegations on Tuesday with a Twitter statement that reads, "I do not know this woman. I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape."

Cohen has appeared in projects including Californication and The Amateur. She also starred in six episodes of Ladies Like Us: The Rise of Neighborhood Watch and in the film Devil's Night, according to her IMDb entry. Westwick, meanwhile, starred in Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012. More recently, he starred in the BBC series White Gold as Vincent Swan. The first season was distributed internationally by Netflix, and the BBC renewed the show for a second season in June. It's not clear if Netflix will continue to distribute the show now that these allegations have surfaced; the streaming service recently ended its relationship with actor Kevin Spacey after sexual misconduct allegations against him emerged. A rep for the BBC referred Refinery29 to Westwick's Twitter statement. Refinery29 has also reached out to Netflix for comment.

Cohen ended her Facebook post by encouraging other survivors to know that sexual assault is not their fault.

"I hope my coming forward will help others to know that they are not alone, that they are not to blame, and it is not their fault. Just as the other women and men coming forward have helped me to realize the same," Cohen wrote. "I hope that my stories and the stories of others help to reset and realign the toxic environments and power imbalances that have created these monsters."

Refinery29 has reached out to Cohen for comment.

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