Riley Brennan
Co-Editor In Chief
Recent allegations made against Hollywood film producer, Harvey Weinstein, have shaken the media, and hopefully spurred real change within the film industry.
Many women have come forward with claims that Weinstein had sexually assaulted/harassed them, the total number reaching over 50 women. Weinstein responded to allegations following the publication of an Op-Ed piece by Lupita Nyong’o, published in the New York Times. The allegation was addressed through a representative of Weinstein’s, saying, “Mr. Weinstein has a different recollection of the events, but believes Lupita is a brilliant actress and a major force for the industry. Last year, she sent a personal invitation to Mr. Weinstein to see her in her Broadway show Eclipsed.”
Following the release of further accusations, Weinstein has since made a statement apologizing for his behavior. In his statement he wrote, “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it.”
While the sheer number of women accusing Weinstein is alarming, it has spurred a movement, and encouraged other victims to speak out about their own perpetrators. Many of these women stepping forward have inspired the hashtag #MeToo, where both men and women come forward about their own stories and show support for others. Now more than ever, victims have been given a platform to highlight just how prevalent sexual assault and harassment is, as well as how damaging it can be.
A common trend in many of Weinstein’s accusers stories is the fact that they chose to wait years to finally expose the perpetrator. Actress Katherine Kendall is one of Weinstein’s victims, who waited years to speak on her personal encounter. She addressed her own feelings toward her experience in a statement, saying, “I think that when people perpetrate against you, you are the one that feels the shame,” she said. “You think that it’s just you.”
Weinstein is not alone in his status of a powerful man in Hollywood accused of sexual assault. There’s an increasing number of people coming forward with tales of abuse at the hand of other prominent figures. The range of other men accused stretch across a variety of professions, proving that this is not solely an issue in Hollywood. Rather, it’s an issue virtually everywhere.
