In the early '90s, the big question surrounding the Clarence Thomas hearings was "who do you believe?" During the hearings, Anita Hill claimed that Thomas had sexually harassed her when they worked together, an allegation that Thomas repeatedly denied. In the end, Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court, where he still serves as a judge today. Now, 25 years later, HBO's film Confirmation will tell the story of the hearings, bringing everyone involved back into the spotlight, including Clarence Thomas' wife, Virginia.
Played in Confirmation by The Americans actress Alison Wright, Virginia stood by her husband's side during the trial and the two are still married. However, Confirmation features a number of scenes during which Virginia watches Hill's testimony and seems shocked, disappointed, and surprised. But is there any indication that the real Virginia believed Hill's allegations, or are her depicted reactions simply an example of the film taking creative liberties?
The latter seems to be the case, as there is no concrete evidence to suggest that Virginia was ever suspicious that the allegations against Clarence could be true. In fact, it seems that she is still a firm believer that Hill was in the wrong. According to the New York Times, in 2010 Virginia left Hill the following voicemail:
Good morning Anita Hill, it’s Ginni Thomas. I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometime and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband. So give it some thought. And certainly pray about this and hope that one day you will help us understand why you did what you did. O.K., have a good day.
So, despite Confirmation showing some skeptical glances, it seems that Virginia believes her husband's denial of the allegations. However, the above voicemail shows that while Virginia may not have believed Hill's testimony, she was certainly listening to it.
Image: Frank Masi/HBO
