George Bush Senior has issued an apology after an actress alleged he touched her from behind while in his wheelchair.
In a statement released on behalf of the former Republican President, he referred to the incident as an ‘attempt at humour’.
Heather Lind, 34, made the allegation against 93-year-old George H.W. Bush on her Instagram page.
In the post which has since been deleted by the actress Ms Lind said she was speaking out after being left ‘disturbed’ by seeing a photograph of President Obama greeting President Bush Sr.
‘I found it disturbing because I recognise the respect ex-presidents are given for having served. And I feel pride and reverence toward many of the men in the photo,’ she wrote.
But when I got the chance to meet George H.W. Bush four years ago, he s3xually assaulted me while I was posing for a similar photo.
He didn’t shake my hand. He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife Barbara Bush by his side. He told me a dirty joke,’ she claimed.
Lind went on to say that she told her castmates at the time about the alleged assault and that she had decided to come forward because of ‘the bravery of other women who have spoken up and written about their experiences’ in recent weeks.
‘We were instructed to call him Mr President. It seems to me a President’s power is in his or her capacity to enact positive change, actually help people, and serve as a symbol of our democracy,’ her post explained.
‘He relinquished that power when he used it against me and, judging from the comments of those around him, countless other women before me,’ she wrote.
In a statement issued after the allegations were made, Mr Bush said: ‘President Bush would never under any circumstance intentionally cause anyone distress, and he most sincerely apologises if his attempt at humor offended Ms Lind.’
In a statement released on behalf of the former Republican President, he referred to the incident as an ‘attempt at humour’.
Heather Lind, 34, made the allegation against 93-year-old George H.W. Bush on her Instagram page.
In the post which has since been deleted by the actress Ms Lind said she was speaking out after being left ‘disturbed’ by seeing a photograph of President Obama greeting President Bush Sr.
‘I found it disturbing because I recognise the respect ex-presidents are given for having served. And I feel pride and reverence toward many of the men in the photo,’ she wrote.
But when I got the chance to meet George H.W. Bush four years ago, he s3xually assaulted me while I was posing for a similar photo.
He didn’t shake my hand. He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife Barbara Bush by his side. He told me a dirty joke,’ she claimed.
Lind went on to say that she told her castmates at the time about the alleged assault and that she had decided to come forward because of ‘the bravery of other women who have spoken up and written about their experiences’ in recent weeks.
‘We were instructed to call him Mr President. It seems to me a President’s power is in his or her capacity to enact positive change, actually help people, and serve as a symbol of our democracy,’ her post explained.
‘He relinquished that power when he used it against me and, judging from the comments of those around him, countless other women before me,’ she wrote.
In a statement issued after the allegations were made, Mr Bush said: ‘President Bush would never under any circumstance intentionally cause anyone distress, and he most sincerely apologises if his attempt at humor offended Ms Lind.’
