Forrest Gump's Jenny Gets Tons Of Hate - But She's Not A Villain Says Robin Wright

The following article discusses child abuse and sexual assault.

"Forrest Gump" has a dark history, and that's partly down to storylines involving Jenny Curran (Robin Wright), the titular character's lifelong love interest who meets a tragic fate in the movie. Forrest (Tom Hanks) loves her through all of the ups and the downs, providing some of the film's most heartwarming moments. However, Jenny's actions have made her hated by some fans of Robert Zemeckis' Oscar-winning classic, but there's an argument to be made that she gets more hate than she deserves.

The movie introduces Jenny as Forrest's childhood friend. They form a bond, as they're both outsiders, and the pair continue to cross paths throughout their lives until they eventually get married. It's a long road to romance, however, as Jenny meets some abusive boyfriends and spirals out of control through drug addiction. The film doesn't always present her in a flattering light, but Wright believes that the character shouldn't be vilified by so many people — and she has a point.

Forrest Gump and Jerry Curran go way back, developing a connection that lasts long into their adult years. However, there are heartbreaking circumstances that keep interrupting their relationship from becoming stable and consistent. Jenny's story is steeped in horror and tragedy from the get-go, as her father sexually abused her from a young age, causing her to suffer from PTSD. 

Unfortunately, Jenny's adult years aren't much better. She gets expelled from college and falls into a nomadic lifestyle of promiscuous sex, abusive relationships, drugs, and instability. Jenny ultimately dies from complications due to AIDS, which isn't the happy ending she and Forrest deserve. Sure, they eventually get married after having a child together, but their union is short-lived, as Jenny is already sick by the time they reconnect.

Jenny's story is undeniably tragic, yet she's often the recipient of fans' contempt and ire. With that in mind, let's find out why some people have an issue with the character.

Jenny Curran is a divisive character for a variety of reasons, but most of the criticism lobbied at her stems from fans believing that she's selfish at best and villainous at worst. The consensus is that she takes advantage of Forrest Gump, knowing that he will always prioritize her needs. "She uses Forrest when it is advantageous for her but will dip out regularly when he needs her," Redditor u/Sleepinismy9to5 argued. "Forrest tries to do good his whole life but constantly has Jenny show up randomly to rock the boat."

Elsewhere, some people hate that Jenny keeps rejecting a nice guy like Forrest, and only accepts his marriage proposal because she's dying and needs someone to look after their child. "She should have introduced him to his son right away," u/ValentineHorseradish wrote. "She didn't. Why? Because she was selfish and stupid, but more importantly, she had no love to give to Forrest."

Still, these viewpoints don't represent the mindset of all "Forrest Gump" fans, nor do they reflect the way Robin Wright feels about the Jenny character. While Wright acknowledges some of Jenny's faults, her views are more nuanced and sympathetic.

Robin Wight brought Jenny Curran to life in "Forrest Gump," so she arguably understands the character better than most. In an interview with The New York Times, the "House of Cards" star clapped back at claims that Jenny is selfish, while also denying that the character's troubled fate in the movie served to push an anti-feminist agenda.

"People have said she's a Voldemort to Forrest," Wright began. "I wouldn't choose that as a reference, but she was kind of selfish. I don't think it's a punishment that she gets AIDS. She was so promiscuous — that was the selfishness that she did to Forrest."

Furthermore, Wright believes that the relationship between Forrest and Jenny is sweet and genuine. Despite the poor decisions she made at times, he was still willing to accept her, as love means accepting people regardless of their flaws. This is an assessment that many fans agree with, and they believe Jenny's story deserves a more sympathetic eye.

It's true that some "Forrest Gump" fans believe Jenny Curran is selfish for rejecting her childhood friend and telling him about their kid after she'd been diagnosed with a life-ending illness. However, others counteract this claim by arguing that she's misunderstood and only wants to protect Forrest.

"It seemed to me that she didn't think she was worthy of Forrest's love," Reddit user u/CriticalIncome7618 noted. "She felt broken and ugly inside, and that is why she kept telling Forrest that he didn't want to be with her." This view was echoed by u/eskimoexplosion, who argued that Jenny only rejected Forrest because she didn't want to drag him down; however, she loved him because he wasn't judgmental. "Forest was the only person who knew her as the innocent little girl instead of the person she became so she could never stay mad at him or cut him off completely."

At the end of the day, Jenny is an abuse survivor who fell on hard times. Rather than judge her for mistakes she made, people should be angry at the horrific circumstances that caused her trauma in the first place.

For more information about the movie, check out these small "Forrest Gump" details you might have missed.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.