Lately, there has been a whole lot of drama in Hollywood. There has been allegations of sexual harassment and abuse coming to light from many prominent figures in Hollywood including actresses, actors, and sports stars. While the accusations have mostly been made by females directed at males, there are also some accusations being made by males against other males. It’s deeply disturbing to see just how many accusations have been brought to the public’s attention and makes you wonder if all of them are true.
It all seemed to start with the Harvey Weinstein scandal in October. Weinstein was accused of raping three women and sexually assaulting/harassing dozens of others. These accusations led to Weinstein being fired from his company, the Weinstein Company, and being expelled from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. He has denied the allegations of rape but has apologized for his behavior in the past. He has said, “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it.”
Some other accusations that have been made since October are:
· Andy Signore, the Senior Vice President of content for Defy Media, was accused of sexual assault of one woman and sexually harassing several others. He ended up being fired from Defy Media.
· Roy Price, the head of Amazon Studios, was accused of sexually harassing one woman. He resigned following the allegation.
· James Toback, a director and writer, was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct toward women. The Los Angeles Times published its investigation into the matter, resulting in hundreds of women reaching out to describe their encounters with Toback. He ended up being dropped by his agent after the allegations were made.
· Mark Halperin, NBC News and MSNBC contributor, was accused of sexual harassment of at least five women. He was dismissed from both NBC News and MSNBC, in addition to having an upcoming book and HBO adaption canceled.
· Kevin Spacey, a well-known actor, was accused of sexual assault of multiple men and sexual misconduct with a minor. He was suspended from Netflix’s House of Cards and cut from other projects following the accusations. He has been said to be seeking evaluation and treatment.
· Andy Dick, an actor, was accused of sexual harassment, which included groping. He was fired from a film following the accusations. He released a weird statement saying: “I didn’t grope anybody. I might have kissed somebody on the cheek to say goodbye and then licked them. … I’m not trying to sexually harass people.”
· Ed Westwick, an actor, was accused of raping two women. His television shows have been postponed while the LAPD investigates the accusations.
The list of famous people from Hollywood being accused of sexual harassment and abuse goes on and on. New accusations seem to be brought to light daily. Pedophiles and sexual predators are being revealed, awareness is being brought to sexual harassment/abuse, and lives are being turned upside down. I think it is great that famous women and men are coming forward publicly with their stories and bringing attention to a subject that people need to be more aware of. With so many accusations being made though and a lot of them from years ago, it is hard to decide who is telling the truth-the accuser or the person being accused and defending themselves.
Investigations are ongoing with many of these accusations. Some of the men accused have admitted to wrongdoings, while others are adamant they are being falsely accused. Hopefully the truth is discovered with each and every one of these allegations and those in the wrong are punished accordingly.