Piers Morgan has defended his scepticism regarding Madonna and Lady Gaga’s claims they were raped and his suggestion post-traumatic stress disorder has become the “latest celebrity accessory”.
The editor-at-large of the US Mail Online’s comments have stirred controversy, prompting a rape survivor to write an open letter condemning his remarks.
Emily Jacob, the founder of ReConnected Life, accused Morgan of doing a “great deal of damage” with his tweets and suggested he was more interested in fame than “compassion”.
Writing in an open letter for the Huffington Post, Jacob applauded Gaga and Madonna for speaking out about their experiences and hailed them as “beacons of light”. She argued the controversial columnist’s remarks exacerbated the shame and stigma experienced by survivors and perpetuated women's fear of not being believed when they report sexual assault.
Responding to her letter on Twitter on Monday, Morgan said: “I don't know who you are, let alone tell you that you weren't raped. I remain sceptical about Madonna and Lady Gaga's claims.”
Madonna said she was held at knifepoint before being raped on a rooftop in New York when she was younger in a first-person essay penned for Harper’s Bazaar.
Gaga revealed she suffers from PTSD for the first time last week. This follows the singer's revelation two years ago she had been raped at the age of 19 by a man who was 20 years older.
On Saturday, Morgan suggested Madonna and Gaga’s claims of rape should not automatically be accepted as fact without “proper criminal investigation”.
“Lady Gaga & Madonna have both made ALLEGATIONS of rape many years after the event. No police complaint, no charges, no court case,” the 51-year-old wrote on Twitter.
“I don't think all claims of rape should be necessarily accepted as fact without proper criminal investigation, do you?"
“I wouldn't automatically believe anything either Madonna or Lady Gaga claimed about their lives.”
Nevertheless, Morgan insisted that he was not accusing them of lying but just expressing scepticism.
“I didn't say they lied, I said I remain sceptical. They should name names and/or report to police,” he said.
He also suggested PTSD had been “flung” around by many celebrities and everything either of the singer’s said should be taken with a “pinch of PR salt”.
A representative for Madonna and Lady Gaga did not immediately respond to request for comment.
