Brie Larson: Being a woman means always being on the 'defence'

6 October 2017

Brie Larson says being a woman means "living life on the defence".

Brie Larson

The 'Room' star has recalled the story of how a TSA agent asked for her number when she "merely smiled" at him and thus says women are always having to be on the "defence".

She shared: "I merely smiled at a TSA agent and he asked for my phone number. To live life as a woman is to live life on the defence."

However, her comments received criticism from one Twitter user, who wrote back to her: "OH NO! A guy asked for your number. You poor thing. Women be complaining they don't find a good guy, but complain when dudes ask for their # [number] ... And ur hundreds of miles away? Makes no sense. The fact he gave it a shot should be applauded. At least he had the guts to show interest ... Didn't ask to be in that situation, but ppl are encouraged through life to make connections, dn't be so soft skinned 2 b upset that he tried (sic)"

But she wasn't happy about the response to her tweet and fired back: "You do realize you're blaming me for a situation I did not ask to be in? A situation that made me uncomfortable? I hope you take the time to learn more about the experiences of women. It's real + scary sometimes and people like you can make it better (sic)"

A short time later, Brie returned to social media where she explained the reason behind her recent tweets, calling it an opportunity to "learn".

She shared: "My recent tweets were an invitation to hear my experience as a woman. Are you up to learning something that may challenge your current view? ... First step: listen. I don't need you explain why my experience is invalid. I need you to listen because I am not a liar and I have a soul ...

"Second: ask questions. If you don't understand, believe in us enough to learn more. This can be challenging if our perspectives differ ... Third: speak from a place of love. Remember that we are (hopefully) just trying to make the world a safer place for all ... Fourth: social media can broaden your world view. It can bring us together to learn. Don't miss this opportunity to grow in unexpected ways (sic)"