Sophie Turner has openly discussed the experience of filming the controversial rape scene her character Sansa Stark faced on Game of Thrones during the show’s fifth season when she was merely 19.

The distressing episode, which featured Turner opposite actor Iwan Rheon, sparked global backlash in 2015 for its depiction of sexual violence. 

Now, nearly a decade later, the 29-year-old actress has explained why she believes the storyline played a vital role in sparking dialogue.

‘I did feel — and still do — that Game of Thrones highlighted issues many people find challenging, like, ‘Oh god, you can’t show that kind of thing’ — and I get that it can be triggering, I completely understand that perspective,’ she shared with Flaunt Magazine. ‘However, I felt we were providing a lot of justice to women and acknowledging the battles women have fought for countless years.’

The mom-of-two reflected on how women have long endured ‘the patriarchy, being treated as objects and being constantly sexually assaulted.’ 

She added, ‘I don’t think there’s one woman I know who hasn’t had a form of that.’

Turner admitted it can be disheartening when men dismiss these experiences or don’t believe them.

‘That’s because we don’t [talk about] it enough — we shy away from it,’ she said disapprovingly. 

Looking back, she acknowledged that standards have shifted since the show aired.

‘I think if Game of Thrones came out today, trigger warnings would be a definite addition,’ she noted. ‘But I feel really proud to have been a part of Game of Thrones for not shying away from presenting the brutalities women faced historically. I’m honored to have engaged in that conversation.’

Her fellow actor Iwan Rheon, 40, has also reflected on the challenges of filming the scene, where his character, Ramsay Bolton, assaults Sansa on their wedding night.

‘That was dreadful,’ he told Metro in 2020. ‘Nobody wanted to be there. Nobody wants to do that, but when telling a story, you have to portray it genuinely. They didn’t sensationalize it. Watching it is very tough. Unfortunately, it’s a horrible act that occurs in reality.’

Rheon said the day of filming was ‘the worst day’ of his career. 

‘Cutting off a finger is not something you truly see, and close-ups use prop pieces. It’s acting, not real life. Then there’s a scene like this, where you’re immersed in the reality of it, which is extremely hard to handle. It was an awful, awful day. Such issues are regrettable because they shouldn’t exist, yet unfortunately, they do.’

While Game of Thrones was on air from 2011 to 2019, the show sparked backlash over the ‘exploitative’ and ‘unnecessary’ depictions of sexual violence and abuse against women. 

The scene is one of the most widely criticized scenes in the series and led some fans to boycott the long-running fantasy drama. 

At the time, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill declared she was done with the show after watching the ‘gratuitous rape scene.’ 

Turner, who became a Patron for Women for Women International, previously tied her work on Game of Thrones to her advocacy for survivors of sexual violence.

Back in 2015, she penned an essay reflecting on the public outrage over the storyline.

‘I wondered why people feel so impassioned to speak out about a fictional rape when this happens all over the world every day,’ she wrote. ‘In a time where it seems a lot of focus is being placed upon domestic issues and concerns, it’s important that we draw some attention to the people who aren’t able to publicize the horrors that are occurring or have occurred in their own countries.’

She went on to recall traveling to Rwanda, meeting those affected by violence and how the women there deeply ‘inspired’ her in ‘so many ways.’

‘Ultimately, I hope to help [Women for Women International] build their network and raise much-needed funds to help more women survivors of war,’ Turner said.

Turner first auditioned for the role of Sansa Stark at the age of 12 and began filming aged 14, with the show’s eighth season finishing when she was 23.