(CNN) — Anne Hathaway spoke of a difficult period in her life after winning the Academy Award nearly a decade ago as an “opportunity” to learn.
Hathaway, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in 2012’s “Les Misérables,” spoke at Elle’s Women in Hollywood event on Monday night about the hate that I stand online and in the media before and, in particular, after his victory.
“Ten years ago, I had the opportunity to see hate speech from a new perspective,” Hathaway said, according to a published transcript on the magazine’s website. “For context, this was language she had used with herself since she was 7 years old. And when your self-inflicted pain is suddenly amplified in some way, say, to full internet volume… It’s one thing.”
Hathaway said her experience made her realize she “had no desire to have anything to do with this energy line” and “would no longer create art from this place.”
“I would no longer save space for him, live in fear of him, or speak his language for any reason. To anybody. Including me,” she said.
Hathaway won a flurry of awards for her performance that year, including a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, and was considered a heavy favorite for the Oscar. With her success, however, came harsh criticism.
“There is a difference between existence and behavior,” Hathaway added. “You can judge behavior. You can forgive the behavior, or not. But you have no right to judge, and especially not to hate, someone for existing.
The actress concluded on a positive note, pointing out how hate is a learned behavior that can be unlearned and changed.
“The good news that hate is learned is that whoever has learned it can learn (something else),” he said. “There is a brain there. I hope they give each other the opportunity to relearn love.”
Earlier in her speech, the “Devil Wears Prada” actress acknowledged the night’s other honorees, including Sigourney Weaver, Ariana DeBose, Sydney Sweeney, Michelle Yeoh, Issa Rae, Zoe Kravitz and Olivia Wilde.
“Be happy for the women. Period,” Hathaway said. “Especially be happy for high performance women. It’s not that hard,” she pointed out.
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Anne Hathaway reflects on the ‘hate’ she endured after winning her Oscar