George H.W. Bush Apologizes After Actress Heather Lind Claimed He ‘Sexually Assaulted’ Her

Former U.S. president George H.W. Bush has apologized after actress Heather Lind claimed that he “sexually assaulted” her when they took a photograph together during a private screening of the AMC TV show Turn: Washington’s Spies in 2014. After Lind made the allegation, Bush issued a statement apologizing for the incident. However, in the statement released by H.W. Bush’s spokesman, Jim McGrath, the former president tried to defend his action, saying that the alleged “sexual assault” was “an attempt at humor” and that he had not intended to offend the actress.

“President Bush would never — under any circumstance — intentionally cause anyone distress, and he most sincerely apologizes if his attempt at humor offended Ms. Lind.”

This is not the first time that George H.W. Bush has been the subject of allegations of sexual misconduct. There are rumors of H.W. Bush’s past involvement in “flirtatious relationships” which his wife, Barbara, allegedly tolerated because he was always discrete about his extra-marital affairs.

In her unauthorized biography, The Family: The Real Story of The Bush Dynasty, Kitty Kelley alleged that H.W. Bush had an affair with “an Italian beauty named Rosemarie” in the 1960s. Bush is also widely rumored to have had a romantic relationship for years with Jennifer Fitzgerald, who was his personal assistant when he was the chief of the U.S. mission in the Republic of China in the 1970s.

H.W. Bush’s alleged relationship with Fitzgerald spanned so many years of his career as a politician and a public office holder that it became a standing joke that she was H.W. Bush’s “other wife.”

“It wasn’t just another woman. It was a woman who came to exert enormous influence over George for many, many years… She became in essence his other wife… his office wife.”

Boardwalk Empire star Heather Lind, 34, originally made the latest allegation against Bush in a post to Instagram under the viral #Metoo hashtag on Tuesday. Lind alleged in the post, which has since been taken down, that H.W. Bush, 93, assaulted her while sitting in his wheelchair during a photo-op. She posted the group photo allegedly taken at the time that Bush “sexually assaulted” her.

Lind wrote that George H.W. Bush’s wife, Barbara, was standing by his side when he allegedly assaulted her. She also claimed that Barbara saw the incident.

Lind added that Bush assaulted her twice.

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

The #MeToo social media campaign took off on Twitter after several women came forward to accuse Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment. Several other actors, producers, and directors have since had similar allegations made against them by several women.

[Featured Image by Al Bello/Getty Images]