‘Orange Is The New Black’ Star Opens Up About That Sexual Assault Scene

As fans are still pouring through the new season, Orange Is The Black actress Taryn Manning, who recently shared her thoughts on season five, revisited her character’s most traumatizing scenes from earlier in the series.

In season three of the Netflix original series, Manning’s character, Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett, is raped by a prison guard she had befriended while on work duty with him. This moment drives Pennsatucky’s motives throughout season three and four, and is one of the series’ most devastating moments.

When asked about what she thought about the scene by CBS News, Manning opened up about her thoughts on the assault scene and what it was like when she first read the episode’s script.

“I felt like, ‘Poor girl,’ and here’s the deal — I thought it was genius, too, because that’s life and man, I didn’t see that coming, as Taryn reading the script,” she said. “That’s how scary these situations can be, and I thought it was so well-written because [the assaulter] just snaps and that’s how volatile people can be. People have been through things and have trauma and whatever the heck made his character act like that, and that happens in real life, too. That was tough.”

Up Next: Watch: This Cute Recap Video Is the Perfect Way to Prepare for ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Season 5

She continued, “And to be honest with you, I just tortured myself on how to play that. I just so want to do things authentically, and it kept me up at night but I got through it and it definitely made an impact on the viewers.”

Manning, who’s appeared in all five seasons of OITNB, was then asked about how she decided to play that scene while filming. Manning said she had to forget how she would react to such a volatile situation and remember the pain Pennsatucky was going through.

More: Poussey Washington Fans Are Having Issues With ‘OITNB’ Season 5

“I guess it’s never happened to me so I couldn’t go from experience, so I had to make a choice,” she said. “I know me and I know I’d be kicking and screaming to get him off of me in real life — that’s what Taryn would have done — but with [Tiffany’s] upbringing and her mother and the lack of care she got, I made the choice to just check out.

“If you’re watching closely, there was one single tear that came out of my eye and that was deliberate. I want the audience to know I’m hurting so bad. Pennsatucky is hurt right now. Her heart, it hurts. It was just as hard for me to watch.”

All five seasons of Orange Is the New Black are currently streaming on Netflix.