George HW Bush Apologizes After Actress Heather Lind Accuses Him of Sexual Assault

Former President George H.W. Bush has apologized for an “attempt at humor” after being accused of sexual assault by actress Heather Lind.

Lind, in a now-deleted Instagram post Tuesday, accused Bush, 93, of touching her from behind during a photo-op while in his wheelchair.

She said Bush’s wife, Barbara, was standing beside him during the 2014 photo-op for American Revolutionary War drama Turn: Washington’s Spies.

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Actress Heather Lind poses during a photocall for the series ‘Turn’ during the MIPTV, on April 7, 2014 in Cannes, on the French Riviera. In an Instagram post she accused former president George H.W. Bush of sexual assault. VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images

“I was disturbed today by a photo I saw of President Barack Obama shaking hands with George H. W. Bush in a gathering of ex-presidents organising aid to states and territories damaged by recent hurricanes,” said Lind, referring to Saturday’s benefit gig where all five living former U.S. presidents appeared on stage.

“I found it disturbing because I recognize the respect ex-presidents are given for having served. And I feel pride and reverence toward many of the men in the photo.

President George H.W. Bush arrives for the coin toss prior to Super Bowl 51 between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The former president issued an apology after being accused of sexual assault by actress Heather Lind. Patrick Smith/Getty Images

“But when I got the chance to meet George H. W. Bush four years ago to promote a historical television show I was working on, he sexually 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.

“And then, all the while being photographed, touched me again. Barbara rolled her eyes as if to say ‘not again’.”

Lind said that after the event, security staff working for Bush told her she should not have stood next to the former president.

In a statement Jim McGrath, a spokesman for the former president, said: “President Bush would never—under any circumstance—intentionally cause anyone distress, and he most sincerely apologizes if his attempt at humor offended Ms. Lind.”

In the lengthy post, Lind said:  “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,’ the lengthy post went on.

“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 said that she told other members of the cast and crew on the AMC series about the alleged assault.

“My fellow cast-mates and producers helped me that day and continue to support me. I am grateful for the bravery of other women who have spoken up and written about their experiences,” she said.

“And I thank President Barack Obama for the gesture of respect he made toward George H. W. Bush for the sake of our country, but I do not respect him. #metoo.’  

Lind posted the accusation under the trending #meetoo hashtag, under which women have shared experiences of sexual assault after rape allegations were leveled at Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Bush has vascular parkinsonism, a rare syndrome that mimics Parkinson’s disease, and has used a motorized scooter or wheelchair in recent years.

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Honolulu’s ‘Distracted Walking’ Law Takes Effect, Targeting Phone Users

Honolulu police officers direct traffic at an intersection. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to ban texting while walking in a crosswalk.

Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images

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Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images

Honolulu police officers direct traffic at an intersection. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to ban texting while walking in a crosswalk.

Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images

Police in Honolulu on Wednesday will begin writing tickets for people who get distracted by their cellphones while walking in a crosswalk. Honolulu is the first major city in the country to pass such a law, citing a high rate of pedestrians being hit in crosswalks.

“Starting today, texting while walking in a crosswalk can get you a ticket,” Hawaii Public Radio’s Bill Dorman reports for our Newscast unit. “In fact, a downward glance at a screen of any kind will cost you — a phone, a tablet, a video game.”

Under the new law, the only legal reason for a pedestrian to use a cellphone while crossing a street or highway would be to call 911 to report an emergency.

Minimum fines for breaking the new law start at $15; for repeat offenders, the penalty ranges from $75 to $99. Higher rates — up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third — had been considered earlier this year.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed Bill 6, also known as the Distracted Walking Law, in July. At the time, he said that Honolulu held “the unfortunate distinction of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors, than almost any other city in the county,” as NPR’s Miles Parks reported.

According to HPD, more than 10,000 citations were issued last year for mobile electronic device violations.

As the law took effect, the city of Honolulu cited a National Safety Council warning that when pedestrians use a cellphone, “this distraction can cause them to trip, cross roads unsafely or walk into motionless objects such as street signs, doors or walls.”

After thousands of distracted walking injuries were reported, the NSC says, it added a new category to track the trend in its annual statistical report, Injury Facts.

In the 90 days since the bill was signed, Honolulu police have been working to remind people of the risks of using an electronic device while walking across a street — risks that, as of Wednesday, also include a fine.

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