2017 was the year of exposing sexual assault.
After producer Harvey Weinstein was found to have harassed, assaulted or raped over 80 women, the floodgates burst open. Notable men across the entertainment industry and beyond were accused of sexual harassment or assault with many accusations dating back decades. It soon became clear that — when woman after woman after woman came forward — it wasn't just a coincidence, it was a systematic pattern.
Harvey Weinstein. Kevin Spacey. Louis C.K. Charlie Rose. Matt Lauer. Russell Simmons. Mario Batali. Al Franken. Joh… https://t.co/pfja6tGYkR— Barbara Malmet (@Barbara Malmet)1514886327.0
Weinstein wasn't the only predator who acted like a real-life Bond villain. Others like Russell Simmons and Matt Lauer were just as sinister. Simmons relied on director (and accused sexual abuser) Brett Ratner to source young models – some as young as 17 – for his predations.
He used his reputation as a zen, yogi-type to make himself seem safe even as he was molesting and raping young women. One woman describes not "recognizing" him as the man she's known for years when he raped her.
Lauer, meanwhile, had a button under his desk to lock unsuspecting women in his office.
Matt Lauer had a secret button under his desk to auto-lock his office door: report https://t.co/xX2kmG32pA #News… https://t.co/UzAoHVQtew— CEO Insights (@CEO Insights)1512951755.0
When the sexual assault allegations in Hollywood first emerged, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas (the National Farmworker Women's Alliance) sent a powerful letter of solidarity to women in Hollywood. It began:
Dear Sisters, We write on behalf of the approximately 700,000 women who work in the agricultural fields and packing sheds across the United States. For the past several weeks we have watched and listened with sadness as we have learned of the actors, models and other individuals who have come forward to speak out about the gender based violence they’ve experienced at the hands of bosses, coworkers and other powerful people in the entertainment industry. We wish that we could say we’re shocked to learn that this is such a pervasive problem in your industry. Sadly, we’re not surprised because it’s a reality we know far too well.Now, the women of Hollywood are finally responding.
Signed & donated. I’m standing with ALL WOMEN to say #TIMESUP on tolerating abuse, harassment, and discrimination.… https://t.co/iMkXQhnfHv— Kate Walsh (@Kate Walsh)1514918070.0
It’s time to shift the balance in the workplace, from representing the few to representing us all. Sign the stateme… https://t.co/L5LXQjLeD9— Megan Ellison (@Megan Ellison)1514834002.0
A group of more than 1,000 women in entertainment, including Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes and Meryl Streep, hav… https://t.co/sr1XdaQ2Ec— CNN International (@CNN International)1514913293.0
Agency ICM Partners "has pledged to reach 50-50 gender parity by the year 2020, with an emphasis on the leadership… https://t.co/ysKHyoAdom— Porter Anderson (@Porter Anderson)1512591913.0