Kristen Stewart apologizes for rape statement

LOS ANGELES — “Twilight Saga” star Kristen Stewart is apologizing for comments she made in Britain’s ELLE magazine which have left some people outraged.

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“I really made an enormous mistake — clearly and obviously,” Kristen told People. “And I’m really sorry about my choice of words.”

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The actress previously compared her life in the Hollywood spotlight and the constant hounding by the paparazzi to a sexual assault, telling Britain’s ELLE magazine in its July issue, “The photos are so … I feel like I’m looking at someone being raped. A lot of the time I can’t handle it. I never expected that this would be my life.”

“I’ve made stupid remarks before, and I’ve always reasoned: ‘Whatever. They can think what they want,’” she explained to People. “Violated definitely would have been a better way of expressing the thought.”

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The 20-year-old star said her regretful comments have torn her apart.

“People thinking that I’m insensitive about this subject rips my guts out. I made a big mistake,” she added.

On Wednesday, Harriet Lessel, the executive director of the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, told Radar Online, “Clearly that kind of violation is not the same as rape… it’s just not the same… understand that Kristen Stewart was expressing that she feels violated. Sure violation is a form of sexual assault, but it’s the most serious and the most personal. It’s clearly a poor choice of words.”

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