The NFL Network is firing back at the former wardrobe stylist who claimed she was sexually harassed by on-air talent like Marshall Faulk and Donovan McNabb … saying she approved of the inappropriate behavior. NFL Enterprises — which runs the…
Showing posts with label Harassment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harassment. Show all posts
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Friday, January 19, 2018
Michael Douglas: Sexual Harassment Allegation Details Published
Earlier this month, a sexual harassment allegation story was pre-empted when Michael Douglas publicly denied masturbating in front of a woman who was once in his employ.
He made a very convincing statement, but … since he spoke out before the accusations were even published, we only got to hear his version of events and of the woman’s story itself.
Now, the woman’s allegations have been published.
The Hollywood Reporter has come out with an account of accusations against Michael Douglas by Susan Braudy. They first summarize her situation.
“In the late ’80s, when Braudy was in her 40s, she was hired to run the New York office of Stonebridge Productions, the production company launched by actor and producer Michael Douglas, then one of the biggest and most powerful stars in Hollywood.”
She apparently kept detailed records at the time, including evidence of her employment and evidence that she once sought — but ultimately did not pursue — a remedy for the sexual harassment that she claims that she experienced.
“She claimed she was subjected to sexual harassment by Douglas that included near-constant profane and sexually charged dialogue, demeaning comments about her appearance, graphic discussions regarding his mistresses and more.”
In addition to written records, Braudy was able to put The Hollywood Reporter in touch with multiple people who could confirm that she’s been describing these events for decades, including at least one well-known journalist and author.
“The most traumatizing experience, she said, took place during a one-on-one script meeting in his apartment, during which Douglas masturbated in her presence, prompting her to run home crying.”
But let’s hear her words.
In Susan Braudy’s own writing, she describes her job at the time as being to “read scripts, hire and supervise screenwriters, and perhaps most important, to babysit Michael in his apartment.”
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the entertainment industry is full of odd jobs where personal lives and professional lives overlap.
At first, she says that she “did my best to shrug off the cloud of sexual aggression that Michael reflexively emitted.”
“I knew something was off but had no name for it,” she says in her writings. “I’d never heard there was a phenomenon called sexual harassment and didn’t know the term until the Anita Hill hearings in 1991.”
And she has an anecdote that both harmless and sure to turn stomachs:
“One screenwriter I hired asked if he could bring his daughter to meet Michael. She asked Michael for a banana. Michael strode to me and said so that only I could hear, ‘Yes. And then you can tell your friends you licked Michael Douglas’ banana.’ I was appalled.”
She claims that Michael Douglas used a crude term for a woman’s genitalia when they first met, and that she eventually took steps to deter him from commenting about her body:
“I began wearing long, loose layers of black. He asked a producer, ‘Why does Susan dress like a pregnant nun?"”
“Another time I laughed loudly and he shouted to a group of agents, ‘Oh yeah, she’s a screamer! I bet she screams in the sack."”
In no way is that an acceptable way to talk to or about your coworker.
“I protested, ‘Please, don’t talk like that. It’s inappropriate.’ This made him laugh until he got pink splotches on his cheeks.”
That sure sounds inappropriate.
“Michael was usually barefoot, his blue oxford shirt unbuttoned to his navel. I sat across the room on the yellow silk couch taking notes.”
This was in 1989. That outfit itself sounds fine. What she says happened next during this one instance … does not.
“Michael unzipped his chinos and I registered something amiss. Still complimenting my additions to our E.T. imitation, his voice lowered at least half an octave.”
And then. …
“I peered at him and saw he’d inserted both hands into his unzipped pants. I realized to my horror that he was rubbing his private parts. Within seconds his voice cracked and it appeared to me he’d had an orgasm.”
“I said nothing. I was surprised I wasn’t falling to pieces even though I was humiliated. I realized he thought he could do anything he wanted because he was so much more powerful than I was.”
We struggle to think of what a person might say in that situation. That sounds so creepy and gross, especially at what was — though at his house — a work meeting.
“Michael ran barefoot after me to the elevator, zipping his fly and buckling his belt. ‘Hey, thank you, you’re good. You helped me, thank you, thank you."”
Braudy says that she was soon after asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement and that, after stalling on her lawyer’s advice for six months, she was let go towards the end of 1989.
Michael Douglas has famously strongly denied these allegations of sexual harassment and general creepiness.
We can consider the fact that either Susan Braudy is lying, though it’s hard to conceive of a reason for her to do so. And the idea of someone confiding a lie in 1989 as part of some decades-long scheme to come out with it in 2018 … is truly bizarre.
We can also consider that Michael Douglas is lying, as his motive for doing so would be to preserve his reputation.
But can we talk about another possibility?
It was the ’80s, and Michael Douglas’ career was pretty much at its peak.
Some have openly wondered if Douglas was abusing any substances at the time (which we are not accusing him of) that might have lowered his impulse-control and perhaps also prevented him from remembering or even realizing his actions.
Even without the involvement of illicit substances, it sounds like both Michael Douglas and Susan Braudy could be describing events as they remember them. Susan might have her memory locked in because of trauma, while Michael Douglas might have thought nothing of events.
It’s even possible that one or both of them misinterpreted the other during that time period.
The only thing that we know with absolute certainty is that no one should have to face the kind of workplace harassment that Braudy describes.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Ann Curry Says Verbal Sexual Harassment "Pervasive" at NBC
Ann Curry makes it clear … the conduct that got Matt Lauer fired from anchoring “Today” was no surprise to her … because she says that was the culture at NBC. Curry appeared on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday to talk about her experiences with…
Friday, January 5, 2018
Donovan McNabb Fired By ESPN After Sexual Harassment Investigation
It’s over for Donovan McNabb at ESPN … the network has officially cut ties with the ex-QB after an investigation into sexual harassment claims during his time at the NFL Network. As we previously reported, McNabb was named in a lawsuit filed…
Friday, December 22, 2017
"Big Bang Theory" Star Alice Amter Supports Matt Damon"s Sexual Harassment Comments
Actress Alice Amter jumped to Matt Damon’s defense Thursday night, saying it’s grossly unfair to skewer Damon for saying it’s wrong to lump all men in the same basket on the subject of sexual harassment. The ‘Big Bang Theory’ actress was at Craig’s…
Thursday, December 21, 2017
L.A. City Prosecutor "Itching" to File Criminal Sexual Harassment Case
L.A. City’s top prosecutor is anxiously waiting for a sexual harassment case to land on his desk so he can “make a point” … this according to sources inside his office. We’re told City Attorney Mike Feuer has his team ready to file what will…
L.A. City Prosecutor "Itching" to File Criminal Sexual Harassment Case
L.A. City’s top prosecutor is anxiously waiting for a sexual harassment case to land on his desk so he can “make a point” … this according to sources inside his office. We’re told City Attorney Mike Feuer has his team ready to file what will…
Monday, December 18, 2017
Gene Simmons Denies Accusations of Sexual Harassment
Gene Simmons is known for his on-stage tongue antics (long before Miley was even born), for his band KISS’ absurd and recognizable makeup, and for some surprisingly conservative views for a guy who once seemed rebellious or radical.
And now he’s one of the latest powerful, famous men accused of sexual misconduct. He’s being sued by an anonymous woman.
He’s issued a statement and, to no one’s surprise, he’s denying the whole thing.
Gene Simmons is being sued by an anonymous woman who is a radio personality.
According to the lawsuit, details of which were published by the Orange County Register, Gene Simmons’s misconduct took place in a green room, while this woman was interviewing her.
The lawsuit alleges that Simmons reached over, grabbed the woman’s hand, and “forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee.”
The woman apparently withdrew her hand immediately, but alleges that Simmons continued his “unwanted, unwarranted sexual advances,” reaching again for her hand.
Defendant Simmons turned standard interview questions into sexual innuendos, which made plaintiff Doe extremely uncomfortable
According to the documents, Gene Simmons grabbed her hand again, made a creepy noise, commented about how she must use lotion, and made some sort of gross sexual innuendo.
He apparently also flicked his finger against her throat, which is one of the weirdest things that we’ve read about since reading about Harvey Weinstein ejaculating into a plant.
Oh, and at a photo op after this interview from hell, Simmons allegedly grabbed her butt.
Awful.
Gene Simmons is speaking out against these allegations and against the lawsuit, writing on Facebook:
“Friends, I intend to defend myself against any alleged charges you may have been reading about in the media.”
Again, it is not surprising that he’s denying everything.
“For the record, I did not assault the person making these accusations in the manner alleged in the complaint or harm her in any way.”
He’s fighting the allegations in public but also gearing up to fight the actual lawsuit.
“I am conferring with my lawyers with the aim of vigorously countering these allegations.”
And he believes that he’ll be ultimately vindicated.
“And I look forward to my day in court where the evidence will prove my innocence.”
He may be right about the lawsuit’s outcome — sexual misconduct is often difficult or even impossible to prove in court.
Even while remaining anonymous, the woman suing him is taking a big financial risk.
Ultimately, we don’t know what, if any, effect this will have on Gene Simmons.
The more passionate a man’s fanbase, the less likely he is to face real consequences, even in the court of public opinion.
Just look at Johnny Depp — everyone knows what he did and has seen the evidence that his management knew what he’d done, but he still has a career and die-hard fans. Oh, and he’s starring in a Harry Potter movie and even JK Rowling is defending him.
Only time will tell if Gene Simmons’ remaining fans will abandon him.
Though, honestly, anyone who still likes the guy after he said that depressed people should just kill themselves is probably going to stick with him through anything.
We should point out that it’s always possible that other women could come forward.
It’s rare for a man to engage in this sort of behavior with one woman and not with others.
So let’s all keep our ears metaphorically to the ground for other women coming forward about disgusting interactions with Gene Simmons.
There are a lot of factors at play — some women are ashamed of not telling anyone, or blame themselves for the way that someone else treated them, or fear public reactions (especially from someone’s fans).
Only time (and the court) will tell how this pans out for Gene Simmons.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Alyssa Milano Destroys Matt Damon Over Sexual Harassment Comments
When it comes to the debate on sexual harassment and misconduct in Hollywood, Alyssa Milano has just made it very clear:
She’s the boss.
The actress – who has been as responsible as anyone for promoting the #MeToo movement and who has been a vocal supporter of every woman who has recently spoken out – took to Twitter on Friday night and straight up owned Matt Damon.
The typically beloved star has been criticized mightily over the past 24 hours.
He spoke to Peter Travers of ABC News this week and made far too many attempts to parse the differences between various acts that have gotten men in trouble of late.
From Al Franken resigning from the Senate for grabbing the butts of women… to Louis CK admitting he masturbated in front of women… to Matt Lauer being fired for alleged rape and other heinous behavior, countless stars have gotten in major trouble for treating women with disrespect.
Asked about this watershed moment in the country, Damon initially told Travers:
“I think it’s great. I think it’s wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories – and it’s totally necessary.”
But then he kept going, sticking his foot deeper and deeper into his mouth.
“I do believe there’s a spectrum of behavior,” he said, stating the obvious and missing the point of the #MeToo movement.
“There’s a difference between patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?
“Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn’t be conflated.”
Minnie Driver, who co-starred with Damon in Good Will Hunting, immediately shook her head over Damon’s comments.
“There are so many men I love who do NOT frame the differentiation between sexual misconduct assault and rape as an excuse or worse- our problem. Such bollocks,” Driver Tweeted.
But Milano went even further.
Focusing especially on Damon’s assertion that men are being punished these days because we live in a “culture of outrage,” the actress took the actor to school.
She also explained why rape and the occasional sexist comment may be different, but they contribute to the same thing.
“Dear Matt Damon, It’s the micro that makes the macro,” Milano wrote to open her response.
Continued Milano:
“We are in a ‘culture of outrage’ because the magnitude of rage is, in fact, overtly outrageous. And it is righteous.
“I have been a victim of each component of the sexual assault spectrum of which you speak. They all hurt.
“And they are all connected to a patriarchy intertwined with normalized, accepted–even welcomed– misogyny.”
We really can’t say any of this better than Milano, so we’re just gonna let her keep going…
We are not outraged because someone grabbed our asses in a picture. We are outraged because we were made to feel this was normal.
We are outraged because we have been gaslighted. We are outraged because we were silenced for so long.
There are different stages of cancer. Some more treatable than others. But it’s still cancer.
Sexual harassment, misconduct, assault and violence is a systemic disease. The tumor is being cut out right now with no anesthesia. Please send flowers. #MeToo
BOOM, right?
Game, set, match, Alyssa Milano.
Most people seem to agree that Damon meant no harm with his comments and that he was just trying to be understanding.
The thing is, he was trying to be understanding of the men, not the women.
The best thing men can do in this climate right now is simply listen.
The worst thing they can do, even the well-intentioned ones? Pretend they know best, as Damon did here.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Salma Hayek Details Sexual Harassment, Death Threats from Harvey Weinstein
Remember that the avalanche of unmasked sex monsters over the past few months began with the sexual harassment accusations against Harvey Weinstein.
That turned out to be only the tip of the nightmare iceberg. In the entertainment industry, and even specifically with Harvey Weinstein, whose list of accusers continues to grow.
Salma Hayek posted a lengthy description of the nightmare that Weinstein put her through, and she named the one thing that she believes saved her from being raped.
Writing a lengthy essay in the New York Times, Salma Hayek first reveals why she waited so long — even after Harvey Weinstein was exposed — to tell her story.
“When so many women came forward to describe what Harvey had done to them, I had to confront my cowardice and humbly accept that my story, as important as it was to me, was nothing but a drop in an ocean of sorrow and confusion.”
It is not uncommon for people who’ve been through awful experiences, like those that she’s going to describe, to try to minimize them.
Just because someone else had it worse doesn’t mean that what happened to you was okay.
“I felt that by now nobody would care about my pain — maybe this was an effect of the many times I was told, especially by Harvey, that I was nobody.”
We’re crushed that she feels that way.
We’ll go ahead and point out that many people, after reading Salma Hayek’s words, mirror Uma Thurman’s feelings on Harvey Weinstein.
“I am inspired by those who had the courage to speak out, especially in a society that elected a president who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than a dozen women and whom we have all heard make a statement about how a man in power can do anything he wants to women.”
Trump has bragged about his wrongdoings and his apparent immunity from justice more than once. It takes a brave person to speak out when it’s so clear that monsters can get away with almost anything.
But Salma Hayek is no longer remaining silent.
Salma refers to director Robert Rodriguez and producer Elizabeth Avellan, and makes a chilling statement about how they may have, unwittingly, protected her from facing the worst that Weinstein had to offer.
“Knowing what I know now, I wonder if it wasn’t my friendship with them — and Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney — that saved me from being raped.”
But she says that, at first, she was delighted to work for the mega-producer.
“He had taken a chance on me — a nobody. He had said yes. Little did I know it would become my turn to say no.”
Long before filming began, Salma had to start turning him down.
“No to opening the door to him at all hours of the night, hotel after hotel, location after location, where he would show up unexpectedly, including one location where I was doing a movie he wasn’t even involved with.”
Gross, creepy, and stalkery.
“No to me taking a shower with him. No to letting him watch me take a shower. No to letting him give me a massage. No to letting a naked friend of his give me a massage. No to letting him give me oral sex. No to my getting naked with another woman. No, no, no, no, no.”
Those sound very hauntingly familiar from the first harassment allegations against Weinstein.
“And with every refusal came Harvey’s Machiavellian rage.”
Frightening.
“I don’t think he hated anything more than the word ‘no."”
“The absurdity of his demands went from getting a furious call in the middle of the night asking me to fire my agent for a fight he was having with him about a different movie with a different client …”
That sounds like an over-the-top power move.
“… To physically dragging me out of the opening gala of the Venice Film Festival, which was in honor of “Frida,” so I could hang out at his private party with him and some women I thought were models but I was told later were high-priced prostitutes.”
Though there’s nothing wrong with sex workers, there’s everything wrong with manhandling an actress and forcing her to go along with you.
“The range of his persuasion tactics went from sweet-talking me to that one time when, in an attack of fury, he said the terrifying words, ‘I will kill you, don’t think I can’t."”
Please don’t ever, ever ask someone why they didn’t speak up. At this point, after all that we’ve heard, it’s a stupid question as well as a hurtful one.
It was, she says, after he realized that she was not going to have sex with him that Harvey Weinstein tried to take the film out from under her.
She had to sue him — and not for sexual harassment — and then perform multiple minor miracles (including recruiting multiple big-name actors) in order to strongarm Weinstein into letting her go through with the film.
But her fight was only beginning.
“Ironically, once we started filming, the sexual harassment stopped but the rage escalated. We paid the price for standing up to him nearly every day of shooting.”
And yes, Salma Hayek does describe the ways in which Weinstein exacted revenge for her defiance.
“Halfway through shooting, Harvey turned up on set and complained about Frida’s ‘unibrow."”
Minor point — Frida Kahlo’s unibrow is iconic. The film would have been worse off without it.
“He insisted that I eliminate the limp and berated my performance. Then he asked everyone in the room to step out except for me.”
Uh-oh.
“He told me that the only thing I had going for me was my sex appeal and that there was none of that in this movie. So he told me he was going to shut down the film because no one would want to see me in that role.”
What a disgusting creep.
“It was soul crushing because, I confess, lost in the fog of a sort of Stockholm syndrome, I wanted him to see me as an artist: not only as a capable actress but also as somebody who could identify a compelling story and had the vision to tell it in an original way.”
It’s not uncommon to want approval, no matter how poorly you’re treated. You see that kind of thing from abused children all of the time, and it’s not surprising coming from this kind of nightmarish workplace environment.
“I arrived on the set the day we were to shoot the scene that I believed would save the movie. And for the first and last time in my career, I had a nervous breakdown.”
Absolutely understandable.
“It was not because I would be naked with another woman. It was because I would be naked with her for Harvey Weinstein.”
Horrifying.
Frida, of course, went on to be critically acclaimed and award-winning.
it seems clear now that this was despite Weinstein’s attempts at petty sabotage, rather than because of some “irreplaceable genius” that he allegedly possessed.
Salma Hayek summarizes the changing circumstances that finally allow women to speak up against powerful men:
“Men sexually harassed because they could. Women are talking today because, in this new era, we finally can.”
Well said.
Morgan Spurlock Admits He"s Part of Sexual Harassment Problem, Cites Past Rape Allegation
Morgan Spurlock is coming clean about his history … regarding sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and even an accusation of rape. The famed documentary filmmaker posted a shocking list of confessions Wednesday, including a detailed description of a…
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Tony Gonzalez: Don"t Crucify Sapp & McNabb for Harassment ... Yet
Tony Gonzalez says it ain’t fair to label all the NFL legends accused of sexual harassment as the next Harvey Weinstein … but if the allegations are legit, guys like Warren Sapp and Donovan McNabb should get canned. “You can’t…
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Giada De Laurentiis Not Shocked by Mario Batali Sexual Harassment Allegations
Giada De Laurentiis says she’s very sad over the allegations against fellow celeb chef Mario Batali … but doesn’t really seem too surprised. We got the star TV chef at LAX Tuesday and asked about Batali stepping away from his restaurant…
Monday, December 11, 2017
Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Accused of Sexual Harassment, Stepping Away from Restaurant Biz
Mario Batali is accused of “inappropriate touching” by 4 women — 3 of them former employees — and the allegation is forcing the celebrity chef to step away from his restaurant empire. One of Batali’s accusers called him ”creepy” and said…
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
TIME Person Of The Year, The Silence Breakers in Sexual Harassment Scandal
TIME didn’t pick a person of the year this time around … they picked people who opened the floodgates in America’s sexual harassment awakening. TIME chose “The Silence Breakers,” including Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift — who sued a DJ and won earlier…
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
John Oliver Goes After Dustin Hoffman for His Sexual Harassment
Dustin Hoffman got grilled like a cheeseburger when John Oliver tore apart the actor’s response to claims he sexually harassed a crew member on a movie set. Things got super heated in the middle of a TriBeCa Film panel discussion — Hoffman…
Jeremy Piven Accuser Says Kevin Dillon Was Part of Sexual Harassment Culture
One of Jeremy Piven’s accusers says she’s not surprised Kevin Dillon came to his “Entourage” buddy’s defense … because he was privy to the culture of sexual harassment on the set. Ariane Bellamar, who accused Piven of sexual…
Jeremy Piven Accuser Says Kevin Dillon Was Part of Sexual Harassment Culture
One of Jeremy Piven’s accusers says she’s not surprised Kevin Dillon came to his “Entourage” buddy’s defense … because he was privy to the culture of sexual harassment on the set. Ariane Bellamar, who accused Piven of sexual…
Sunday, December 3, 2017
SNL Takes on Sexual Harassment Scandal with Skit "Welcome to Hell"
“Saturday Night Live” took on the massive sexual harassment/assault scandal by telling perpetrators they are now in the same place the woman have been for years — hell. The skit — “Welcome to Hell” — is not knee-slapping funny, but it’s…
Friday, December 1, 2017
Seth Meyers Goes After Matt Lauer for Sexual Harassment
Seth Meyers ripped Matt Lauer a new one on his show Friday morning over the sexual misconduct that got him fired. Meyers turned Lauer’s own words on him in the interview the former “Today” show host did with Bill O’Reilly. He also joked about the…
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