I apologise to Divya and all colleagues who were hurt by my behaviour: Alencier

Alencier Ley Lopez quickly earned the reputation of being a competent actor in Mollywood, essaying memorable characters such as George Lopez, the helpless dad and policeman in Njan Steve Lopez, Baby chettan, the cool uncle of Mahesh in Maheshinte Prathikaram and many more. As he continued to do these power-packed roles, movie goers saw in him an actor capable of stepping into the void left by veteran actors like Thilakan and Jagathy Sreekumar.The positions that he took in certain issues also gave him the image of being a socially-committed individual.
However, things went awry for Alencier in October 2018, when the #MeToo movement gained momentum in Kerala. In a blog post, an anonymous actress alleged harassment by Alencier on a film set. She described the instances where he allegedly harassed her, while they worked together in a film. She alleged, “I had immense respect for this artiste, until I met him personally. His progressive and liberal approach to what is happening around us is just a mask of his perverted self.”
When the news spread like wildfire over social media platforms, many questioned the veracity of her claims, forcing the actress to reveal her identity through a Facebook video. Divya Gopinath, who has worked in movies like Kammatipaadam, explained her ordeal, sending Malayalam filmdom into a tizzy.
The actress went on to lodge a complaint against Alencier at the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and has been waiting for a response for the past four months. On February 17, 2019, Kochi Times published an interview with Divya where she spoke about the status of her complaint and demanded a public apology from the actor.

Alencier then contacted us and expressed his wish to issue the public apology to Divya through Kochi Times, the same medium where she had made the demand. Alencier said, “After Divya’s interview was published, I spoke to her. Our conversation was a friendly one and she reiterated that she needs a public apology and only that would bring closure to the controversy. I too felt I need to do this. Divya asked for the apology through Kochi Times. Hence, I am apologising publically in this space…”

He states, “When I realised that my behaviour hurt her, I had apologised to her personally with my whole heart, repenting the action. After this issue became public, as she wants a public apology, I hereby apologise again to her for my mistake. I am sorry for my behaviour. My apology is not just to Divya but to all my colleagues who were hurt because of my behaviour.
“I am not a saint. I am a human being and like everyone else, I too make mistakes. The only way out is to empathise with those who were hurt, accept the mistake and repent my deed. I have also taken my wife and children into confidence about this.”
Divya Gopinath responds
‘I do not want to proceed with this case any further’

Accepting the public apology, Divya Gopinath tells us that she is very happy that he took this as a chance to accept his mistake and bring closure to the issue. She says, “It is a very good thing. We spoke after my interview was published in Kochi Times. It is true that he had apologised to me once earlier. But it should not happen that he apologises to me and then continues that kind of behaviour with other women. Apology should come from within. That’s why I told him that I needed a better response from him and that only a public apology from him would bring about a closure to this. We all have to work in the same industry and it needs a healthy atmosphere.
“If the apology is genuine and he understands the harm that he caused, I accept it because, to err is human, and it is great if someone is ready to correct it and move ahead. I do not want to proceed with this case any further. Things end here."
“I express my gratitude to those who stood by me during these trying times including the members of the Women in Cinema Collective, my family and Justice Hema Commission. I also thank the media and the public who trusted and supported me.”