Actress Evan Rachel Wood Faces Backlash for Calling Kobe Bryant a ‘Rapist’ Hours After His Death

Activist actress Evan Rachel Wood faced a backlash on Monday, after calling Kobe Bryant a “rapist” in the hours after the NBA star tragically died in a helicopter crash.

Wood was lambasted by fans who were aghast that she would bring up past accusations of rape lodged against the player just as the nation tries to come to terms with his death.

“What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe’s family. He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist. And all of these truths can exist simultaneously,” Wood tweeted Sunday only hours after the media reported the player’s death.

The Westworld star was alluding to the accusation of rape that was pressed against Bryant 17 years ago.

Back in 2003, the NBA superstar was accused of rape by a 19-year-old hotel employee who said Bryant sexually assaulted her at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Colorado. Bryant ultimately faced no prosecution when the case was dropped because police found the DNA of another man in the accuser’s underwear. A civil case dragged on until 2005 when the player settled for an undisclosed amount.

But fans were incensed that Wood used her note about the player’s death to dredge up the accusations against him. The liberal actress’s Twitter feed bristled with condemnation.

SBA suspends nearly 7,000 Minnesota borrowers over suspected $400M pandemic loan fraud

Hours after taking office, NYC Mayor Mamdani targets landlords, moves to intervene in private bankruptcy case

Numbers Don’t Lie: CNN, MSNBC Ratings Flip Upside Down from Trump’s First Term to Trump 2.0

Happy New Year: Pentagon Ends 2025 with a Bang, Hits Narco-Terrorists Whose Drugs Will Not Kill Americans This Year

Historic Amsterdam Church Burns as ‘Unprecedented’ New Year’s Eve Violence Grips the City

Another Self-Driving Car Goes Rogue in California: Taxi Drives Passenger Into Active L.A. Fire Scene

Bernie Sanders ditches iconic mittens look while swearing in socialist Zohran Mamdani as NYC mayor

London mayor denies removing Star of David from fireworks show

Fox News ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter: You won’t believe what TikTok was selling

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Copies One of Trump’s Signature Policies

Mamdani vows to govern as ‘democratic socialist’ and embrace big government

At Least It Wasn’t Snakes: Disney Employee Injured After Errant ‘Indiana Jones’ Boulder Falls off Track

Bill Maher and John Stamos Agree: People with Trump Derangement Syndrome Are the Problem

Watch: ESPN Anchor Unable to Hide His Disgust When Network Shows Two Men Kissing

Inside Trump’s first-year power plays and the court fights testing them

In fact, the condemnation became so heavy, by Monday afternoon Wood put her account on “protected” status so that people not already followed by the actress can no longer see them.

Despite, the move to hide her tweets, multiple outlets had already reported on the opposition she faced over her tweet.

Page Six, for instance, noted that Twitter user Catherine (Kathleen) Curtin scolded the actress, writing, “And this is where the MeToo movement has gotten out of control… attacking a man who literally just died less than 24 hours ago, with his little girl!”

Twitter user Wes Hatton, accused Wood of turning #MeToo into a joke, adding, “These things need to be taken seriously and your [sic] just looking for attention after him, and his daughter JUST died. Wow.”

Actress Kyla Pratt noted that she loves Wood’s work but slammed her for the tweet. “But this tweet? How f–king dare you?” she wrote.

For her part, Wood tried to take a step back and explain her original message

“Beloveds,” she wrote in explanation, “this was not a condemnation or a celebration. It was a reminder that everyone will have different feelings, and there is room for us all to grieve together instead of fighting, everyone has lost.”