Mariska Hargitay, Hudson Williams speaks up on 'Cornell 7' case

Mariska Hargitay, Hudson Williams, Josh Gad and other Hollywood figures are speaking out publicly against seven Cornell University students accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a former classmate in October 2024, a case that's drawn renewed attention online under the name "the Cornell 7."

Hargitay, who has spent decades playing Special Victims Unit Captain Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU and has become a real-world advocate for survivors through the Joyful Heart Foundation, which she founded, issued a statement on Instagram condemning the university's handling of the case. 

"Cornell has failed to protect its students." 

Read more: New York prosecutors reopen Cornell case after student sues over alleged gang rape

According to the accuser's attorney, only two of the seven men implicated were expelled following the university's internal investigation, with the remaining students receiving lesser consequences such as temporary suspensions, workshops or written assignments.

Hudson Williams, star of Heated Rivalry, posted photos of the seven accused men to his Instagram Story alongside a blunt message. 

"Arrest them." 

Josh Gad shared a longer statement criticising the disciplinary outcomes as inadequate given the severity of the allegations, writing that assigning essays as consequence for such conduct amounts to treating it "like it's Bart Simpson being a lil' r**cal." 

Actor Florence Pugh was among the earliest and most prominent voices to speak out on the case last weekend, writing that she felt "uneasy and sick and anxious" after learning of the allegations and calling on men broadly to take a more active role in condemning this kind of behavior.

The renewed wave of celebrity reaction follows both a civil lawsuit filed by the accuser earlier this month and news that prosecutors in Tompkins County have reopened their review of the original 2024 case.

Read more: Florence Pugh calls on men to speak out after Cornell gang assault case