Gina Gershon reveals how she reacted to most disturbing scene in “Showgirls”: 'Are you insane?'
Gina Gershon reveals how she reacted to most disturbing scene in “Showgirls”: 'Are you insane?'
Daysia TolentinoWed, March 11, 2026 at 6:45 PM UTC
0
Gina Gershon visits SiriusXM Studios on Feb. 25, 2026Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty
Gina Gershon revealed the argument she had with Showgirls director Paul Verhoeven over the controversial rape scene in the film.
Gershon opened up about the difficulties she had revisiting the seedy Las Vegas drama over the years. She shared that she would get "very tense and anxious" when recalling certain memories on set. The Bound actress remembered having various disagreements with Verhoeven over her character Cristal's accent and the overall tone of the film.
Gina Gershon and Elizabeth Berkley in 'Showgirls'Credit: United Artists/ Courtesy Everett
The Face/Off star said she fought with Verhoeven over the inclusion of the movie's divisive rape scene, which critics have called excessive. In the film, Molly (Gina Ravera), who is the friend and roommate of protagonist Nomi (Elizabeth Berkley), is assaulted by a famous singer and his bodyguards. Nomi later avenges Molly by attacking her assailant.
"I remember when I saw that rape scene, I'm like, 'Are you insane?'" Gershon said on The Julia Cunningham Show. "Like, 'You have to take this scene out.' I was so offended by it."
Ravera has previously shared her own traumatic memories of that scene, calling Molly a "sacrificial lamb" in the film. She said the scene took nine hours to film, which was physically and mentally difficult to endure.
“When you do a scene like that, your body doesn’t know it’s not real,” Ravera told Yahoo! Entertainment in 2020. “I don’t know if I would have taken the movie if I had understood that.”
Advertisement
Gina Ravera and Elizabeth Berkley in 'Showgirls'Credit: Murray Close/United Artists/Courtesy Everett
With 30 years of distance, Gershon said that she understands why the scene was included. She had spoken to a writer who communicated the impact Showgirls has had over the years. The actress said it was "hard to get" to that understanding, but she has a better perspective on the film now.
"It is really a comment on like ugly America, and on capitalism and power struggles and dynamics and all those things, that of course that rape scene has to be there," she said. "It's the grossest thing in there and the powerful men, they're all protected. And you know, so that's why it's exciting when she like kicks a guy's a--."
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
Gershon still wishes she got more clarity about Verhoeven's direction at the time. She said she "thought it was going to be a different movie than it was." Still, she said that Showgirls was a lesson in adaptability.
Check out a snippet of Gina Gershon on The Julia Cunningham Show above.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
