Elijah Wood claims child sexual abuse is common in Hollywood

Former child star Elijah Wood told The Sunday Times that many of his peers in Hollywood experienced sexual abuse from authority figures. "I've been led down dark paths to realize that these things probably are still happening," Wood said. He also referenced the late BBC host Jimmy Savile, who was thought to have abused hundreds of children over the course of his career.

"You all grew up with Savile," the Lord of the Rings actor said. "Jesus, it must have been devastating. Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organized. There are a lot of vipers in this industry — people who only have their own interests in mind."

Wood credited his mother with helping protect him from the darker parts of the industry, seeing as he took his first film role at the early age of 8. Most victims "can't speak as loudly as people in power," he said, which allows these transgressions to go unnoticed and unpunished. "That's the tragedy of attempting to reveal what is happening."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up