Game of Thrones: Sophie Turner defends controversial rape scene

'Screw the people who are saying we shouldn’t be putting this on TV'

Midway through season five, Game of Thrones caused controversy after featuring a scene in where Sophie Turner’s character Sansa Stark was sexually assaulted.

Since then, those who worked on the show have defended the decision to include the moment, one of many graphic scenes featured on the HBO show. Following the episode’s broadcast, many were outraged, some calling for others to boycott the show in protest.

Talking to The Times about the show’s content, Turner spoke about the scene, discussing how TV cannot hide away from sexual assault.

“The more we talk about sexual assault the better,” she told the publication. “And screw the people who are saying we shouldn’t be putting this on TV and screw the people who are saying they’re going to boycott the show because of it.

“This sort of thing used to happen and it continues to happen now, and if we treat it as such a taboo and precious subject, then how are people going to have the strength to come out and feel comfortable saying that this has happened to them?”

Turner also admitted there were moments where she thought perhaps the scene shouldn’t be broadcast: “Sexual assault wasn’t something that had affected me or anybody I knew, so I was pretty blasé about the whole thing. Naively so.

“And then I shot the scene, and in the aftermath there was this huge uproar that we would depict something like that on television. My first response was like, maybe we shouldn’t have put that on screen at all.”

Despite the controversy and call for boycott, Game of Thrones still has legions of fans, many excited for the upcoming seventh season. A trailer for the show was recently released, featuring Turner as Sansa once more.