Ex-Wah!Banana actor Lev Panfilov says he feels 'indifferent' towards woman who accused him of rape

Former Wah!Banana actor Lev Panfilov, who was acquitted of rape and sexual assault after five years of legal battles, said he feels "indifferent" towards his accuser.

In a one-hour and 49-minute video interview with YouTuber Max Chernov, Panfilov shared how the Tinder date unfolded and eventually turned into an accusation that changed his life as he was jailed in Singapore.

When asked about his current thoughts on the woman who accused him, the 30-year-old said he is past having feelings of "hatred or resentment".

Though he felt those emotions while in prison, Panfilov shared that he is now more relieved and has started having feelings of "Christian compassion".

How it unfolded

Panfilov also shared the full story of how he first met the woman after matching with her on Tinder in January 2021.

According to him, the woman first suggested meeting, and he agreed after deciding on a day.

During the date, their nature was "flirtatious", and when the topic shifted to where they were going next, her behaviour showed "an understanding" of why they were going to his place.

At his house, which he rented with two other roommates, the pair watched YouTube videos, and the woman commented on how "funny" he was, Panfilov said.

Things then culminated in consensual sex, after which he booked a taxi for the woman, he said.

He later messaged her to check if she was home, and she said yes.

While their conversations ended on good terms, Panfilov said he did not reply to her text the next day as he no longer "[felt] like talking to her".

A week later, the police contacted him after a report was lodged by the woman against him for rape and sexual assault.

State's responsibility

Giving his assessment of the woman, Panfilov said: “She is a poor person intellectually and perhaps emotionally.”

“What she did was, of course, wrong. But ultimately, it should be the state’s responsibility to protect men in general,” he said, referring to other men who may be wrongfully accused in similar cases.

Panfilov emphasised that the state should be responsible for protecting those who are wrongfully accused in any cases.

He said the woman was defended “extremely well” by the state, while he was “maligned” by both the state and the media.

He also said the gag order protected the woman but not him, despite the fact that he had not been convicted at the time.

Public opinion changed

While public opinion on him was negative when he was first charged, he noted that it has since changed following his acquittal.

Some commented that his life is "ruined" by the false accusation, but Panfilov disagreed.

"It's not ruined," he laughed.

"Just a little bit shaken by the severity of the circumstances," he elaborated, saying his faith in society was restored and he has also become more of a positive person.

He added that the biggest lesson he learned from the experience was never to give up.