Daijiworld Media Network – Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Aug 26: It has been six years since Game of Thrones ended, yet the show continues to spark debates over some of its most controversial moments. One such instance is the brutal wedding night scene from Season 5, where Sansa Stark, played by Sophie Turner, is assaulted by Ramsay Bolton as Theon Greyjoy is forced to watch.

The sequence, which aired in 2015, drew sharp criticism from fans and women’s rights groups who accused the makers of glorifying violence against women. Adding to the outrage was the deviation from George R R. Martin’s books, where Sansa’s arc unfolded differently.

Now, nearly a decade later, Turner has defended the scene. Speaking to Flaunt magazine, the 29-year-old actress said, “I did feel – and still do – that Game of Thrones shone a light on things that many people were uncomfortable with. I totally understand it could be triggering, but we did justice to women and the struggles they have faced for thousands of years – the patriarchy, objectification, and sexual assault. I don’t know a single woman who hasn’t experienced some form of that.”

Turner, who was in her late teens while filming the controversial episode, added that men often dismiss her claims about the widespread nature of harassment. “That’s because we don’t talk about it enough. If the show aired today, it would definitely come with trigger warnings. But I’m proud that we didn’t shy away from showing the atrocities women endured,” she said.

Despite the uproar, many fans found solace when Sansa Stark avenged her trauma in Season 6 by exacting a fitting punishment on Ramsay Bolton.

This is not the first time Turner has addressed criticism of the scene. In 2017, she had questioned whether treating sexual assault as a taboo subject discourages victims from reporting such crimes.