Mario Batali looks quite comfortable despite multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him … and the shoes could be the reason for that. The celeb chef was spotted out in NYC Wednesday looking chill in his signature clothing style — fleece…
Showing posts with label Misconduct. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misconduct. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Tavis Smiley Takes a Stand for Employees Dating Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Tavis Smiley knows it’s hard to find Mr. or Mrs. Right, and insists that’s why he never discouraged employees — including himself, apparently — from dating co-workers. The suspended PBS talk show host took a stand for workplace dating Monday…
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Mario Batali Apologizes for Sexual Misconduct, Includes Holiday Recipe
Mario Batali takes the cake — or, in this case, pizza dough — for most tone deaf response to sexual battery allegations. Batali sent out an email blast Friday evening to his fans in which he acknowledged “some news coverage about some of my past…
Friday, December 15, 2017
Carolina Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson Under Investigation, "Alleged Workplace Misconduct"
From Hollywood to the NFL … now a powerful NFL owner is being investigated for alleged misconduct in the workplace. The Carolina Panthers have confirmed they have “commenced an internal investigation” into 81-year-old Jerry Richardson.…
Matt Damon Gets Dragged by Entire Internet for Sexual Misconduct Comments
Matt Damon is generally considered one of the nicest, least controversial actors in Hollywood.
But the star has gone ahead and stuck his typically-genial foot directly into his very handsome mouth.
On Wednesday’s episode of ABC News’ Popcorn With Peter Travers, the actor shared his take on the influx of sexual misconduct allegations that continue to hit the entertainment profession.
And, in doing so, Damon opened himself up to criticism from… well… pretty much everyone.
“I think we’re in this watershed moment,” he said early in the interview, adding:
“I think it’s great. I think it’s wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories – and it’s totally necessary.”
There you go. Perfect. Damon could have just stopped there and no one would be talking about him right now.
But he didn’t stop there.
With sexual misconduct allegations derailing the careers of such stars as Louis CK, Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Mario Batali and MANY others, Damon made many attempts to parse various situations.
Referring to a “spectrum of behavior,” he said:
“There’s a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?”
In this case, Damon was citing scandals that have enveloped politicians Al Franken (butt patting) and Roy Moore (alleged child molestation).
“Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn’t be conflated, right?” Damon continued, saying he would have “preferred if they had an Ethics Committee investigation.”
However, Damon argued:
“We are so energized to kind of get retribution.”
Most people would not say anyone is energized to get “retribution” right now.
They would say women are energized to speak out against the many times they’ve been wronged; and this should only be applauded.
In one of his most dissected and disappointing statements, Damon said:
“We live in this culture of outrage and injury, and, you know, we’re going to have to correct enough to kind of go, ‘Wait a minute. None of us came here perfect.’
“You know what I mean?”
Not really.
One can not be perfect and also know how to treat a woman with respect at all times.
Among those who have dragged Damon for his comments is Minnie Driver, who co-starred with the actor in Good Will Hunting.
She linked to his controversial interview on Twitter and just wrote “God, God seriously?”
Others, meanwhile, have said the following:
Damon, who was close to Harvey Weinstein after the producer helped get Good Will Hunting made, dug himself into an even deeper hole when citing individual examples.
Admitting he doesn’t “know all the details” about Louis C.K., for example, Damon said the following:
“I don’t do deep dives on this, but I did see his statement…
“When he came out and said, ‘I did this; I did these things; these women are all telling the truth,’ I just remember thinking, ‘Well, that’s the sign of somebody who…well, we can work with that."”
Ummm…. there are two problems with this argument:
- CK was accused of pulling out his penis and masturbating in front of many women. Damon could have taken a few easy second to research this online.
- CK only released his statement AFTER reports came out that basically confirmed these actions.
Damon is concerns that “the clearer signal to men and to younger people is [to] deny it, because if you take responsibility for what you did, your life’s going to get ruined.
“I mean, look, as I said – all of that behavior needs to be confronted, but there is a continuum.
‘And on this end of the continuum where you have rape and child molestation or whatever, you know, that’s prison. Right? That’s what needs to happen. OK?”
SIGH.
Look, yes, there’s a difference between outright rape and a few misguided comments. No one denies this.
But one could argue that a culture that looks past the latter on a continual basis contributes to more of the former because there because a general acceptance of women as nothing but sex objects.
Moreover, this just isn’t the time, Matt.
There have been too many instances of too much heinous behavior around Hollywood. This isn’t the time to get up on a pedestal and try to teach America about grey areas.
But Damon focused on social media in his interview and lamented today’s culture of presumed guilt, saying:
“The moment a claim is made… I would be scorched earth. I’d go, ‘I don’t care if it costs $ 10 million to fight this in court with you for 10 years; you are not taking my name from me. You are not taking my name and my reputation from me. I’ve worked too hard for it.
“And I earned it. You can’t just blow me up like that."”
“Once a claim is made, there will no longer be settlements. That’s my prediction, just based on what I’ve seen.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Travers countered, noting many female had been unable to share their stories because of nondisclosure agreements.
“One hundred percent,” Damon responded, adding that “every woman who’s coming forward with one of these stories needs to be listened to and heard.”
Boom. Yes. Done.
That’s all you had to say in the first place, Matt Damon.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Ronan Farrow Says America Needed a Wake-Up Call on Sexual Misconduct
Ronan Farrow’s whistleblowing article on Harvey Weinstein opened the floodgates of sexual harassment allegations in and out of Hollywood — and he says it’s exactly what America needed. We got Ronan catching a flight out of LAX Thursday and asked…
Tavis Smiley Vows to Fight PBS Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Suspension
Tavis Smiley says PBS railroaded him during its investigation into claims he was having sex with staffers, and he’s vowing to take a stand against the network’s “overreaction.” The talk show host, who PBS suspended Wednesday, says he only learned…
Morgan Spurlock Posts Confession to Sexual Misconduct
All of the #MeToo stories that we’ve heard so far have come from women — and men — sharing their experiences of sexual harassment and assault. Some men like Matt Lauer have been fired, others have been named, while others still hide and wonder when it’ll be there turn to be named and shamed.
Controversial documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has his own story of harassment and assault, but his isn’t a #MeToo story.
Because he’s confessing that he, too, is part of the problem. And he’s speaking up because he figures that someone will name him, sooner or later.
Most of us know Morgan Spurlock as the man whose deeply dishonest “documentary” nearly ruined fast food for the rest of us.
(Super Size Me was wildly misleading, as anyone with common sense can tell you. It turns out that measuring how a single abruptly-no-longer-exercising alcoholic’s body responds to eating fast mood for every meal every day is not a responsible sample size)
Because of Spurlock, a lot of children’s Happy Meals came with apple slices (garbage) and milk (why?!) instead of french fries and soda as people freaked out after the “documentary” aired and gained national attention in 2004.
Well, Morgan Spurlock is somehow still a thing in 2017, and he posted to TwitLonger, which is also somehow still a thing in 2017. His post begins:
“As I sit around watching hero after hero, man after man, fall at the realization of their past indiscretions, I don’t sit by and wonder ‘who will be next?’ I wonder, ‘when will they come for me?"”
Off of the top of my head, I can’t think of a man named in a #MeToo story whom I’d have characterized as a “hero” even before hearing that he was a sex monster.
But Morgan Spurlock sounds like he’s coming forward to reveal that he himself is a sex monster.
Morgan Spurlock’s lengthy confession, titled “I Am Part Of the Problem,” continues:
“You see, I’ve come to understand after months of these revelations, that I am not some innocent bystander, I am also a part of the problem.”
And he explains why:
“When I was in college, a girl who I hooked up with on a one night stand accused me of rape.”
Oh.
“Not outright. There were no charges or investigations, but she wrote about the instance in a short story writing class and called me by name. A female friend who was in the class told be about it afterwards.”
A lot of trauma survivors write about their experiences, directly or indirectly. Others might process the horrors of their lives through music or visual art.
“I was floored.”
We should note that not every rapist is the kind of over-the-top malevolent predator that you see on police procedurals or in the accusations against men like Weinstein. A lot of rapists don’t realize that they’re rapists.
“‘That’s not what happened!’ I told her. This wasn’t how I remembered it at all. In my mind, we’d been drinking all night and went back to my room.”
He continues to describe his version of events.
“We began fooling around, she pushed me off, then we laid in the bed and talked and laughed some more, and then began fooling around again. We took off our clothes. She said she didn’t want to have sex, so we laid together, and talked, and kissed, and laughed, and then we started having sex.”
Spurlock says that he stopped after she started to cry.
“We stopped having sex and I rolled beside her. I tried to comfort her. To make her feel better. I thought I was doing ok, I believed she was feeling better. She believed she was raped.”
Some people might cry during consensual intercourse, but the dead giveaway should have been the lack of consent. He admits that he remembers her saying that she didn’t want to have sex.
What he’s describing, even to his recollection, sounds like rape.
And that was not the end of Morgan Spurlock’s admissions.
“Then there was the time I settled a sexual harassment allegation at my office. This was around 8 years ago, and it wasn’t a gropy feely harassment. It was verbal, and it was just as bad.”
Women have been enduring this kind of harassment for generations. That doesn’t make it any better.
“I would call my female assistant ‘hot pants’ or ‘sex pants’ when I was yelling to her from the other side of the office. Something I thought was funny at the time, but then realized I had completely demeaned and belittled her to a place of non-existence.”
It sounds like he made her workplace experience a living hell.
“So, when she decided to quit, she came to me and said if I didn’t pay her a settlement, she would tell everyone.”
Honestly, good for her. Sometimes, in an unjust world, money is the only way to get justice.
“Being who I was, it was the last thing I wanted, so of course, I paid. I paid for peace of mind. I paid for her silence and cooperation. Most of all, I paid so I could remain who I was.”
Morgan Spurlock then admits that he also cheated on every wife and girlfriend he ever had. Every single one.
He shares his own background of sexual abuse as a child and a young teenager (which is very sad) and reveals that he has been drinking regularly since the age of 13.
You get the impression that Spurlock feels that revealing all of this makes him somehow brave or more righteous than the other sex monsters we’ve heard about in recent months.
We don’t see how.
What he describes is a story of raping a woman in college, regularly sexually harassing a woman at work, and betraying the trust of every woman who’s ever loved him.
While his story of childhood trauma (he doesn’t mention who inflicted this upon him) is absolutely tragic, the evil done to him as a child does not excuse his actions as an adult.
In fact, that he mentions this in the same post where he describes his own misdeeds reminds us of Kevin Spacey coming out as gay in an attempt to deflect attention from the accusation that, as had been rumored for many years, he’s a sexual predator.
Tavis Smiley Suspended By PBS, "Troubling" Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Tavis Smiley is the next big star under fire for alleged sexual misconduct … PBS has suspended the talk show host after an investigation uncovered “credible allegations.” Smiley is a veteran talk show host who focuses on politics and current…
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Salma Hayek Details Harvey Weinstein Alleged Sexual Misconduct Nightmare
Salma Hayek said for years Harvey Weinstein was a monster who asked her, among other things, to let him give her oral sex … threatening to kill her and tormenting her career when she refused. The actress shared in detail the torture…
Monday, December 11, 2017
Mario Batali: Celebrity Chef Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Steps Down
Mario Batali is famous for his work as a chef, for his television appearances, and for his signature look.
And now his name goes on the long, long list of powerful men accused of sexual misconduct.
Batali has issued an apology and announced that he is stepping back from his restaurants and television work.
You don’t have to be someone who cares about celebrity chefs to at least vaguely recognize the name Mario Batali.
He’s a chef, a restaurateur, and also a television personality.
He has the sort of classical culinary training that one would expect from a chef.
But he is also considered an expert on the history of Italian cuisine.
Mario Batali owns or co-owns restaurants in major cities across the US and also spanning the globe.
He’s had a Food Network series and has also acted as a guest and cohost on other shows related to his area of expertise.
Batali is perhaps most recognizable for his signature look, which features a fleece vest, shorts, and then either orange crocs or, in more recent appearances, Adidas Yeezy footwear.
Unfortunately, you know the drill, folks: it sounds like there was a side of Batali that the public never saw.
Four women have come forward and accused him of sexual misconduct.
Eater New York reports that they interviewed dozens of people who’ve worked with Mario Batali over the years in order to confirm the accusations against him.
What they found does not paint a pretty picture.
One woman said that Batali “grabbed both of my breasts” while at a party.
Another accused the celebrity chef of “put his hand on half of my butt and he squeezed it.”
These examples are on top of a described pattern of inappropriate behavior, which included frequently using innuendo in the workplace.
The accusations include asking questions about the sex lives of his female employees and also asking about their underwear.
(Gross!)
The list of jobs in which asking about a woman’s underwear or sex life are appropriate is very, very short.
It’s mostly just certain types of modeling and certain types of sex work.
The list of jobs in which it’s okay to grab a woman’s butt or breasts without her permission is even shorter, at exactly zero.
The public expects some bad behavior from chefs — prima donna nonsense, flaring tempers, storming out and breaking dishes. None of that’s acceptable, but some people think that they have to put up with it if they want a “genius” chef.
(Note: if an artistic genius of any kind is acting like that as an adult, they’re a genius and a dickbag; you don’t have to put up with nonsense to get fancy food)
The Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group has announced that Batali has agreed to step away from his businesses — including restaurants and TV appearances (though the TV part had already been decided by ABC and others).
Batali has issued an apology:
“I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt.”
That starts off vague, but he does more or less admit to the allegations.
“Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in these stories have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted.”
When you compare that to Al Franken’s resignation statement or Matt Lauer’s “apology,” Batali appears to be owning his behavior better than many of those who were named before him.
“That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses.”
Agreed.
“I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends, and family.”
While no apology magically undoes wrongdoings as serious as Batali’s, a good apology is still nice to hear.
Eater New York reports that they interviewed dozens of people who’ve worked with Mario Batali over the years in order to confirm the accusations against him.
What they found does not paint a pretty picture.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Senator Al Franken Expected to Resign In Wake of Sexual Misconduct Allegations (LIVE STREAM)
Senator Al Franken is about to announce his future in the Senate, and all signs point to a resignation. A new accuser came forward Wednesday — taking the count to at least 7 — claiming Franken tried forcibly kissing her in 2006, adding he…
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Famed Photographer Bruce Weber"s Alleged Sexual Misconduct Victims Talk (LIVE STREAM)
Two male models are coming forward to detail allegations of sexual misconduct at the hands of famed fashion photographer Bruce Weber … and TMZ will be streaming live. The male models will be flanked by their attorney, Lisa Bloom, who has…
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Garrison Keillor: Radio Host Fired, Accused of Misconduct!
Do the names Lake Wobegon or Prairie Home Companion sound familiar to you? Well, Garrison Keillor is the man who created that long-running series.
And Keillor is now the very latest to be exposed for alleged sexual misconduct. In fact, he’s been fired.
Interestingly, it was Keillor himself who made certain that the news became public. And he claims that there’s more to the story.
Garrison Keillor is a radio host, author, and voice actor whose work is widely recognized.
In an email sent to the Associated Press, he makes it known that he has been fired from Minnesota Public Radio, where he has worked for nearly 50 years.
“I’ve been fired over a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version M.P.R. heard. Most stories are.”
That line is the most widely circulated from the email, but there was more:
He refers to it as “poetic irony to be knocked off the air by a story, having told so many of them myself.”
That’s a very colorful description, and even a charming one.
(We don’t know if it’s appropriate, given the circumstances and subject matter, for him to wax poetic)
Still, he says that he doesn’t intend to fight to keep his job.
“But I’m 75 and don’t have any interest in arguing about this. And I cannot in conscience bring danger to a great organization I’ve worked hard for since 1969.”
He did not go into any detail in that letter. But that doesn’t mean that he’s kept mum about the whole thing.
In an email to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Garrison Keillor went into further detail about his version of events:
“I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches.”
Sometimes a hand ends up under clothing rather than above it (though that’s certainly never happened to me in a work situation), but … six inches is pretty far for a hand to travel by accident.
He describes how they both responded.
“She recoiled. I apologized.”
That sounds pretty standard.
“I sent her an email of apology later and she replied that she had forgiven me and not to think about it.”
He says that things changed later.
“We were friends. We continued to be friendly right up until her lawyer called.”
Well, he spins a very compelling story. But, as he noted above, he’s been doing that for longer than most of us have been alive.
Now, based upon Keillor’s own words, we might interpret him as something of clumsy old man, too absorbed in storytelling and his thoughts to realize where he’s putting his hands.
But we haven’t actually heard the woman’s account of this.
While we’re by no means suggesting that Garrison Keillor is Minnesota Public Radio’s very own Weinstein, we have to remember that, particularly when faced with only a single accusation, a man even as notorious as Weinstein might point their own, entirely believable, version of events.
While we only know of one incident, hearing only the accused man’s description of the alleged interaction doesn’t leave us in a place where we’d feel comfortable drawing a conclusion about what really happened.
However, the news of his firing has left fans shocked.
At least, as far as it’s possible to still be shocked by anything, anywhere in 2017.
Just this morning, Donald Trump accused Joe Scarborough of murder in a tweet … and that was after retweeting radical, Islamophobic shock-videos from a fringe right politician in Europe.
Many feel that we’re living in grim times. Often people joke that this is “the timeline God abandoned.”
But others think of the turmoil of 2017 — politically, and in terms of the countless powerful men accused of being sex monsters — as like growing pains.
Or perhaps like the storm before the calm. Maybe the world is in the midst of an upheaval as our society purges its worst elements and prepares to become a better place.
Let’s hope so.
TMZ Live: Matt Lauer: Fired From NBC For Sexual Misconduct
ON TODAY’S SHOW Jennifer Hudson: Fierce Custody Battle Kim Kardashian: Social Justice Activist! Floyd Mayweather’s Mansion Burglarized! Gwen Stefani: Security Risk?
Matt Lauer: FIRED for Sexual Misconduct!
Major news this morning out of the television world, as Hollywood’s ongoing sexual harassment scandal has enveloped yet another big name.
It’s Matt Lauer this time.
And he’s been FIRED by NBC.
The shocking development was relayed to viewers first thing on Wednesday by Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie.
She opened the latest episode of the long-running program as follows, reading a statement by NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack:
“On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.
It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company’s standards. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment.
While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he’s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.”
Continued Lack, via Guthrie:
“Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender.
“We are deeply saddened by this turn of events. But we will face it together as a news organization – and do it in as transparent a manner as we can.
“To that end, Noah and I will be meeting with as many of you as possible throughout the day today to answer your questions.”
Lauer has been at The Today Show desk since 1997.
He’s been under fire for years, with previous rumors that he might be let go by the network.
But not for sexual misconduct.
For his alleged attitude toward his fellow colleagues, combined with dwindling ratings of late for Today.
Guthrie has sat alongside Lauer for years and was clearly taken aback by this news.
“As I’m sure you can imagine, we are devastated and we are still processing all of this,” she told viewers, adding:
“I will tell you right now we do not know more than what I just shared with you, but we will be covering this story as reporters, as journalists.
“I’m sure we will be learning more details in the hours and days to come. And we promise we will share that with you.”
Questions, such as whether Megyn Kelly will replace Lauer, will assuredly abound over the coming hours, days and weeks.
It’s also safe to assume that more details will come out regarding the allegations surrounding Lauer, who is the latest A-Lister (Kevin Spacey, Louis CK, etc.) to lose work due to these types of sexual harassment accusations.
“We are heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for Matt – he is my dear, dear friend and my partner, and he has been loved by many, many people here,” Guthrie concluded.
“And I’m heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story, and any other women who have their own stories to tell.”
Hoda Kotb joined Guthrie in Lauer’s usual seat this morning, calling it a “tough morning” and sharing her own take on the scandal:
“It’s hard to reconcile with what we are hearing with the man who we know, who walks in this building every single day.
“We were both woken up with the news, kind of pre-dawn, and we’re trying to process it and trying to make sense of it – and it’ll take some time for that.”
Naturally, Donald Trump also felt a need to chime in on this stunner, Tweeting this morning:
Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”
But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack’s past!
We’ll have plenty more on this story as news breaks.
For now… WOW.
Matt Lauer Fired for Sexual Misconduct at NBC
Matt Lauer has been fired from NBC for “inappropriate sexual behavior.” The stunning announcement was made on the air at the very top of NBC’s Today by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. Savannah read a memo from NBC News Chairman Andy Lack which…
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Sinbad Says Russell Simmons Should Expect More Sexual Misconduct Accusers
Russell Simmons better brace for a storm now that he’s been accused of sexual assault … because the trend, according to Sinbad, is for even more allegations to surface. The comedian told us in the current environment, none of the…
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Mark Schwahn, One Tree Hill Creator, Accused of Rampant Sexual Misconduct
Over the past few weeks, accusations of sexual harassment have been leveled against numerous powerful men in Hollywood.
But few allegations have been like this:
On Monday night, the female cast and many crew members from One Tree Hill came together to write an open letter that called out series creator Mark Schwahn for years of unchecked sexual misconduct.
The actresses were inspired to take this unusual step after writer Audrey Wauchope (who currently works on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) Tweeted on Saturday that she and a colleague were sexually harassed years ago during their time writing for an unnamed series.
Wauchope did not cite Schwahn by name in her barrage of Tweets, either.
But she did write the following:
“Female writers would try to get the spot where the showrunner wouldn’t sit as to not be touched. Often men would help out by sitting next to him, thus protecting the women.
“Sometimes we wouldn’t luck out and he’d just squeeze his disgusting body in between us and put his arms around us, grinning.
“He pet hair. He massaged shoulders. I know he did more but not to me so they’re not my stories to share.”
Wauchope went on to say that the showrunner passed around naked photos of an actress he had slept with, unbeknownst to the actress, and that he tried talking a writer out of getting married because he wanted a chance to have sex with her.
It’s now clear that Wauchope was referring to Mark Schwahn.
In a joint statement – signed by One Tree Hill stars such as Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz – the female cast members of this former CW hit backed up Wauchope’s claims and alleged Schwahn manipulated many of them “psychologically and emotionally.”
Here is what the powerful letter says:
All of the female cast members of One Tree Hill have chosen this forum to stand together in support of Audrey Wauchope and one another.
To use terminology that has become familiar as the systemic reality of sexual harassment and assault has come more and more to light, Mark Schwahn’s behavior over the duration of the filming of One Tree Hill was something of an “open secret.”
Many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally. More than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress.
Many of us were put in uncomfortable positions and had to swiftly learn to fight back, sometimes physically, because it was made clear to us that the supervisors in the room were not the protectors they were supposed to be.
Many of us were spoken to in ways that ran the spectrum from deeply upsetting, to traumatizing, to downright illegal. And a few of us were put in positions where we felt physically unsafe.
More than one woman on our show had her career trajectory threatened.
It continues:
The through line in all of this was, and still is, our unwavering support of and faith in one another. We confided in each other.
We set up safe spaces to talk about his behavior and how to handle it. To warn new women who joined our ranks.
We understood that a lot of it was orchestrated in ways that kept it out of sight for the studio back home. We also understood that no one was fully unaware.
The lack of action that has been routine, the turning of the other cheek, is intolerable.
We collectively want to echo the calls of women everywhere that vehemently demand change, in all industries.
Many of us were told, during filming, that coming forward to talk about this culture would result in our show being canceled and hundreds of lovely, qualified, hard-working, and talented people losing their jobs.
This is not an appropriate amount of pressure to put on young girls.
Many of us since have stayed silent publicly but had very open channels of communication in our friend group and in our industry, because we want Tree Hill to remain the place “where everything’s better and everything’s safe” for our fans; some of whom have said that the show quite literally saved their lives.
But the reality is, no space is safe when it has an underlying and infectious cancer. We have worked at taking our power back, making the conventions our own, and relishing in the good memories.
But there is more work to be done.
And it concludes:
We are all deeply grateful for Audrey’s courage. For one another. And for every male cast mate and crew member who has reached out to our group of women to offer their support these last few days.
They echo the greater rallying cry that must lead us to change: Believe Women. We are all in this together.
The message is signed “With Love and Courage” by:
- Sophia Bush
- Hilarie Burton
- Bethany Joy Lenz
- Danneel Harris
- Michaela McManus
- Kate Voegele
- Daphne Zuniga
- India de Beaufort
- Bevin Prince
- Jana Kramer
- Shantel Van Santen
- Allison Munn
It is also signed by the “Brave Crew And All the rest of the Women We Worked With Who Are Finding Their Voices as We Speak.”
Schwahn currently runs The Royals on E!.
In a statement Monday, the network said it is “monitoring the information carefully” and is “committed to providing a safe working environment in which everyone is treated respectfully and professionally.”
Monday, November 13, 2017
Weinstein Scandal: Which Powerful Men Are Accused of Sexual Misconduct?
Following accusations of sexual harassment and rape, Harvey Weinstein has lost his job and his family. Given that the LAPD is investigating him, he may even lose his freedom.
What began as a scandal over one mega-producer"s alleged sexual misconduct has taken on a powerful life of its own.
Countless women — and men — came forward and shared their #MeToo stories, talking about incidents in childhood or adulthood in which they were sexually harassed or assaulted. In many cases, these individuals had held onto stories, afraid or ashamed to share them, for years or even decades.
The average #MeToo story comes from everyday people and often don"t name the people who wronged them. Many don"t even know the men"s names.
However, a number of celebrities and non-celebrities alike have come forward and their #MeToo stories are naming the names of powerful men.
Directors, producers, and actors who have for years used social pressure, Hollywood culture, wealth, and celebrity status to remain above reproach are suddenly being called out so loudly that even they cannot ignore it.
It"s not fun to wonder if someone you once admired might be next, but surely we would all rather know the truth than to live in blissful ignorance.
Some of these powerful men have admitted to having done wrong. Others are fiercely denying the allegations against them, even when it"s their word against dozens — or more.
It seems that more accused sexual predators are named every day, so here"s a running list of the powerful figures who have been called out for alleged sexual misconduct.
1. Harvey Weinstein
We of course could not make this list without including the titular figure in the Weinstein scandal. This mega-producer has lost his job and his wife over accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Multiple famous actresses have shared their Weinstein stories. He’s also under investigation by the LAPD. His public downfall has encouraged countless others to come forward.
2. Brett Ratner
Though not the only X-Men director to have been accused of sexual misconduct, Brett Ratner has been accused of sexual harassment and sexual assaults going back decades, and well-known actresses have spoken out and accused him of some very upsetting things.
3. Louis C.K.
Years ago, rumors sprouted up about an unnamed big-name comedian who seemed to enjoy masturbating in front of women he worked with. Several of those women came forward and named Louis C.K. … and though he didn’t quite say the word “sorry,” Louis did acknowledge that their stories were true.
4. Ed Westwick
Former Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick has been accused by two different actresses with frighteningly similar stories. Both allege that they were at his house and invited to sleep in guest beds, only to awaken to Westwick allegedly sexually assaulting them. Both women say that people they considered friends urged them to keep quiet. It’s heartbreaking.
5. Steven Seagal
Jenny McCarthy says that Steven Seagal encouraged her to disrobe during a casting call … when she was acting out a courtroom scene. Former actress Lisa Guerrero (who is now a journalist) says that Seagal had her audition at his home while he appeared to be wearing only a robe, and that she’s glad that she brought along someone else. And now Portia de Rossi says that Steven Seagal once “unzipped” in front of her. These are very disturbing allegations.
6. Andy Dick
Andy Dick was fired from a project over allegations of sexual harassment, including genital groping and … licking people. Andy Dick’s defense, a claim that licking people on the face after kissing them is “his thing,” isn’t helping. If “your thing” is making people uncomfortable, you probably should find a new thing.
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