Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox and friend were targeted in transphobic attack in LA

Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox says she and friend were targeted in transphobic attack at Griffith Park in LA

  • Orange Is the New Black star, 48, says her friend was struck in the incident 
  • The incident served as a reminder that ‘it’s not safe in the world,’ Cox said 
  • Cox told her 4.4 million followers ‘when these things happen, it’s not your fault’ 
  • Cox played Sophia Burset on the Netflix hit OITNB 

Laverne Cox said she and a friend were targeted in a transphobic attack at Griffith Park in Los Angeles.

The Orange Is the New Black star, 48, described the incident in a clip on Instagram Saturday and captioned the clip: ‘We Were Just Attacked in Griffith Park We are fine. Be careful out there. #TransIsBeautiful.’ 

She said she was on a walk with a friend (practicing social distance) when a man came up to them asking for the time of day.

Details: Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox, 48, said in an Instagram clip Saturday that she and a friend were targeted in a transphobic attack at Griffith Park in Los Angeles

‘The friend that I’m with looks at his watch and tells him the time, and then the guy who asked for the time says to my friend, “Guy or girl?” My friend says, ”F*** off,”’ said the star, who played Sophia Burset on the Netflix hit.

Cox said that chaos ensued when the man physically attacked her friend: ‘I look back and I’m like, “What is happening?”

‘The guy is like hitting my friend, and then my friend is going toward him and I’m like “Holy shit!” I pull out my phone and I call to dial 911, and all of a sudden it’s over and the guy is gone.’

Cox said she and her friend both believed that the offensive gender question was aimed at her expense.

Cox said that chaos ensued when the man physically attacked her friend

Cox said that chaos ensued when the man physically attacked her friend

Cox said she and her friend both believed that an offensive gender question was aimed at her expense

Cox said she and her friend both believed that an offensive gender question was aimed at her expense

‘The guy really wanted me to answer so that he could spook whether I’m trans or not,’ Cox said. ‘I don’t know why, I don’t know why it matters – at the end of the day, it’s like who cares?

‘I’m in a hoodie and yoga pants, I’m completely covered up, I’ve got my mask on – who cares if I’m trans? How does this affect your life?’

Cox said that the incident served as a reminder that ‘it’s not safe in the world … it’s the truth and it’s not safe if you’re a trans person,’ as she felt that her attacker was ‘looking for trouble’ because she ‘happened to be a trans person in public.

‘It doesn’t matter who you are. You can be Laverne Cox, you know, or whatever that means. If you’re trans… you’re going to experience stuff like this.’

Cox said that the incident served as a reminder that 'it’s not safe in the world'

Cox said that the incident served as a reminder that ‘it’s not safe in the world’

Cox said she was clad in a face mask at the time of the incident

Cox said she was clad in a face mask at the time of the incident 

Cox said while that it wasn’t the first time she’s experienced harassment over her gender identity, she continued to be surprised by what had happened

Cox said while that it wasn’t the first time she’s experienced harassment over her gender identity, she continued to be surprised by what had happened.

‘This isn’t shocking to me – obviously, this is my life. I’ve dealt with this a lot, but it never fails to be shocking, I guess … I’ve been trans my whole life, I’ve been harassed and bullied my whole life,’ she said. ‘None of this is new, but it’s still just kind of like … why do you need to be aggressive?’

Cox told her 4.4 million followers that it’s important to remember that ‘when these things happen, it’s not your fault.

‘It’s not your fault that people are not cool with you existing in the world,’ she said. ‘We have a right to walk in the park.’

Cox received support from a number of her peers in show business in the comment thread – including Kerry Washington, Jamie Chung and Lee Daniels – as all chimed in with supportive sentiments in the wake of the attack.

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