Since the downfall of Harvey Weinstein, the movie producer who has been accused of sexual harassment or assault by
more than 40 women, people all around the world have come forward to call out abuse by men in power. The most recent name on that list is popular astrophysicist and science communicator
Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Last week, a journalist writing for Medium
listed Tyson as a “screen celebrity” who had been accused of “rape.” As a fan of Tyson’s activism and writing, and someone who has met him in person (I also quote him several times in my new book,
No Sacred Cows), I decided to delve deeper into the allegation and tell the whole story (as it has been reported from both sides).
Who is she?
The accuser is
Tchiya Amet, a “musician, healer, and teacher” who says she studied Galactic Astronomy in the graduate program at the University of Texas in Austin and she wanted to become the first black female astronaut. In a
blog post in October 2014, she claimed she was a grad student at the same time Tyson was there, and that he drugged and raped her.
Amet said the alleged assault started when she went to his apartment to visit, like she did almost every day.
He offered me a glass of water. I accepted a liquid in a cup made out of a coconut shell. I recall coming back to consciousness briefly, then next thing I remember is seeing him in the hallway the next day. I have lived in this nightmare for 30 years, and it stops today.
I know this will be difficult for many of you to believe, understand or to know. However, know that this is the truth. Those who know me well can attest to the fact that I lived with undiagnosed PTSD of [at] least 25 years.
She also said Tyson was the reason she didn’t further pursue her dream of reaching the stars and becoming a full-fledged astrophysicist, and accused him of telling students they could pass Astronomy 101 if they gave him a blow job.
