Witherspoon, others ‘mad’ at Hollywood
Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon used her speech at a Hollywood event honoring women to detail experiences of assault and harassment at the hands of directors and producers and pledged to do more to stop such situations from happening.
Witherspoon told the audience at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards on Monday night that the recent revelation of Spike network is investigating reports of sexual harassment by Bob Weinstein, the brother of disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, against the female showrunner of a series produced by The Weinstein Co. and aired on Spike. She was channeling the famous line from the movie “Network,” and telling guests that they needed to be mad, too.
She also excoriated President Donald Trump for his comments about grabbing women, as well as Bill Cosby.
On the sidelines of the luncheon for “Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program,” many discussed the sordid saga roiling Hollywood, where a slew of women have come out with allegations of sexual harassment, and worse, on Weinstein’s part.
Actress Olivia Wilde said that while she felt anger was necessary as an “energizing” factor, people decades of sexual misconduct allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein has prompted her own experiences to come back “very vividly.”
Witherspoon said she had “true disgust at the director who assaulted me when I was 16 years old and anger at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment.”
Witherspoon didn’t name the director. Witherspoon expressed needed to remain optimistic and hopeful, “or else we won’t try to reach out to each other.” And she said she was indeed hopeful that the Weinstein scandal—and the reaction to it—could prove to be a moment of real change in awareness of sexual harassment and assault.
“If it is that kind of moment, regret for not being more vocal about her experience, saying she has felt anxiety about being honest and guilt for not speaking out earlier or taking action.
Weinstein was also a popular topic Tuesday at a Manhattan event for women filmmakers, writers and actors where women shared their anger, shock, unity and solidarity.
“I’m mad as hell!” Jane Rosenthal, executive chair of Tribeca Enterprises, said to the crowd. the change will come from women recognizing that they’re not alone,” Wilde said in an interview. She said the stories women are now telling of their ordeals with Weinstein, and others, “are so personal that they will add a humanity to the issue that will potentially inspire people to operate with less fear.” She added that she hoped women would now be able to overcome “the shame factor, this idea that ‘it was my fault,’ and to admit it is somehow admitting weakness.”
“Right now I’m just saying to everyone, ‘I’m here to listen and nothing you say could make me value you any less as a powerful woman,’” Wilde said.
Actress Cynthia Nixon wasn’t sure that Hollywood was experiencing a watershed moment. “You know, the jury is out. It’s hard. In Hollywood, traditionally the women were the showpieces and the men were the power. Still, unless you’re really holding the reins of power, you can fall into a trap where your job is to please, and then it’s hard for you to speak up when a crime is happening.”
But Nixon also noted that change was afoot. “I do think that generationally, people’s attitudes about what’s OK and what’s not OK are changing,” she said. “Whether they will change completely, I don’t know. Even a great ‘lessoning’ would be a step in the right direction.”