Caitriona and Saoirse auction Globes dresses
Stars to donate cash to Time’s Up fund, while Bardot lashes industry ‘hypocrisy’
IRISH actresses Saoirse Ronan and Caitriona Balfe are auctioning their black Golden Globes dresses in aid of the Time’s Up Legal Defence Fund.
Time’s Up aims to fight sexual harassment and inequality in the entertainment industry and other work places.
Organisers have teamed up with eBay and Condé Nast to auction black dresses and tuxedos won by those who attended this year’s awards ceremony.
eBay’s website said that all funds from the auction, which begins today, ‘will benefit the Time’s Up Legal Defence Fund, which helps individuals who face workplace sexual harassment connect with legal representation and public relations assistance’.
The Golden Globes red carpet ‘blackout’ was announced in advance of the ceremony, with stars discussing their intentions to join the movement on social media.
Carlow native Saoirse wore a black, one-sleeved Versace dress with two silver panels to the awards earlier this month.
Outlander actress Caitriona wore a black, off-the-shoulder Chanel Haute Couture dress with feathered sleeves.
Bidders will also have the chance to get their hands on Reese Witherspoon’s Zac Posen dress; The Crown actress Claire Foy’s Stella McCartney suit; and Emma Watson’s Ronald Van Den Kemp dress.
Anna Wintour, artistic director of Condé Nast and editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine said: ‘At Condé Nast, we’ve always believed in the importance of swift action to support meaningful social change.’
Meanwhile, Brigitte Bardot has criticised ‘hypocritical’ actresses for flirting with film bosses and then claiming to have been sexually harassed.
The 1950s sex symbol said she was never a victim and found remarks about her appearance ‘nice’.
Asked about stars denouncing sex abuse in the film industry, the 83-year-old French actress said: ‘In the vast majority of cases they are being hypocritical, ridiculous, uninteresting.
‘There are many actresses who flirt with producers in order to get a role.
‘Then, in order to be talked about, they will say they have been harassed.
‘In reality, rather than benefiting them, it harms them.’
Miss Bardot said she enjoyed the attention she received when she was younger, telling French magazine Paris Match: ‘I was never the victim of sexual harassment and I found it charming when I was told that I was beautiful or I had a nice little backside.
‘This kind of compliment is nice.’
Miss Bardot, who quit acting in 1973, was famous for her love life.
Married four times, she is thought to have had more than 100 male and female lovers.
Her comments come after another veteran French actress, Catherine Deneuve, 74, condemned the #MeToo anti-harassment campaign, which has seen stars use the hashtag to share stories of sexism and abuse, as a ‘witch-hunt’.
Miss Deneuve was backed by new Baftas host Joanna Lumley, 71, who said she reluctantly kowtowed to peer pressure by wearing black at last week’s Bafta nominations – a statement of protest against sexual assault and abuse in the industry.
The Absolutely Fabulous star said: ‘You knew that if you weren’t wearing black, you were virtually saying, “I am Harvey Weinstein”.
‘So I think we’re all going to be in black; everyone will be in black out of terror.’
Miss Deneuve was one of 100 women to sign a letter denouncing the ‘puritanism’ since the sex abuse allegations against Hollywood mogul Weinstein. She later apologised.
‘Connect with legal representation’