Assange Pens Letter to Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Julian Assange in a new WikiLeaks film, and the government dissident is none too pleased about it. Assange denounces the film as “deceitful” and “toxic” in an open letter to the British actor—a long overdue response to Cumberbatch’s request to meet the WikiLeaks founder before filming The Fifth Estate. Assange declares himself a fan of Cumberbatch, but urges him to “reconsider your involvement” in a film that “will resurrect and amplify defamatory stories which were long ago shown to be false.” In short, the two will not be having tea anytime soon. “By meeting with you, I would validate…the talented, but debauched, performance that the script will force you to give,” Assange concludes.