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Washington Post Suspends Reporter for Tweet About Kobe Bryant Rape Allegation

HeadlineJan 28, 2020

The Washington Post is under fire after it suspended a reporter for tweeting about a rape allegation against basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday in a helicopter crash that also killed Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. Felicia Sonmez posted a link to a Daily Beast article about the 2003 sexual assault allegation against Bryant, which was met with immediate backlash by other users. In a now-deleted post, Sonmez wrote in response to the criticism, “Any public figure is worth remembering in their totality even if that public figure is beloved and that totality unsettling. That folks are responding with rage and threats toward me (someone who didn’t even write the piece but found it well-reported) speaks volumes about the pressure people come under to stay silent in these cases.” The newspaper’s own media reporter and the Washington Post Guild both condemned the move to put Sonmez on leave.

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