**Spoilers for Sunday’s episode of ‘Game of Thrones’**
If you follow Jessica Chastain on social media, you probably have realized that the actress is a bit of a “Game of Thrones” fan. After the Battle of Winterfell, she proudly posted a picture of Arya. But this week, after “The Last of the Starks,” Chastain clearly had issues with how the series has treated Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark.
For those that didn’t watch the episode from Sunday, Sansa speaks to The Hound. After The Hound says he wishes that the young girl would have come with him and escaped the Lannisters, and subsequently Ramsay Bolton (who raped and tortured her) and Little Finger, Sansa says that if it wasn’t for those people, she would still be a “little bird” and not the strong woman she is today.
Well, Chastain takes issue with that explanation for Sansa’s newfound strength.
“Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger,” Chastain tweeted. “A woman doesn’t need to be victimized in order to become a butterfly. The #littlebird was always a Phoenix. Her prevailing strength is solely because of her. And her alone.”
Chastain has always been a vocal supporter of #MeToo and Time’s Up, and has never been one to shy away from voicing her feminist views. So, it’s no surprise that she would have an issue with this storyline. Many fans of “Game of Thrones” have had issues with Sansa’s story, as for years, she has been receiving the brunt of terrible treatment from men, including the aforementioned sexual abuse. However, in recent seasons (and the last two particularly), the character has been shown to be one of the strongest people in the entire cast.
It’s just that explanation from Sunday’s episode that rings a bit false for Chastain and others.
The two actresses are set to appear together in the upcoming film “Dark Phoenix,” which arrives in theaters on June 7.
Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger. A woman doesn’t need to be victimized in order to become a butterfly. The #littlebird was always a Phoenix. Her prevailing strength is solely because of her. And her alone.#GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/TVIyt8LYxI
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) May 7, 2019