Don’t let this derail the #Metoo movement
Asia Argento accused Harvey Weinstein of rape and became a key figure in the #Metoo movement. But last week a young actor claimed she’d sexually assaulted him – and paid him off. Whatever the truth, the cause must go on, argues Hannah Flint…
Another week, yet another accusation that someone in Hollywood used their position to sexually assault a young actor. But this was unlike any of the stories that had come before it. Less than a year after the actor Asia Argento claimed that Harvey Weinstein had raped her in 1997, she was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old actor in 2013, when she was 37.
According to court documents obtained by the New York Times, Jimmy Bennett, now 22, threatened to sue Asia for £ 2.7 million in damages last November, just a month after she opened up about being a victim of Weinstein (whose downfall led to a widespread reckoning across Hollywood, fashion, music, politics and sport).
The New York Times article also alleges that Asia paid Jimmy £300,000 to remain silent, claims which have led Weinstein’s lawyer to gleefully label her a ‘hypocrite’. Asia denies a sexual relationship with Bennett – but her denial was questioned when pictures were published that appeared to show her in bed with him, alongside text messages in which she allegedly admitted to sleeping with him.
It’s certainly an unnerving turn of events, especially given how prominent the actress has been in the #Metoo movement.
Mira Sorvino, who has also accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, tweeted that she was ‘reeling’ from the news and ‘heartsick’ over the allegations against Asia. ‘Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime and is against all that I and the # Metoo movement stands for. I remain dedicated to fight for all victims and change the culture that encourages abuse of power in sexual relationships,’ she wrote. Rose Mcgowan, who accused Weinstein of rape, said her heart was ‘ broken’ by the accusations. In a second tweet, she asked people to ‘ be gentle’ with Asia, but later deleted the statement, which had attracted an explosive backlash.
Meanwhile, # Metoo’s founder, Tarana Burke, issued a statement saying the case against Asia should force us to ‘ get comfortable with the uncomfortable reality that there is no one way to be a perpetrator... and no model survivor’. And, as others wondered where this left the # Metoo movement, she implored people not to let the headlines ‘discredit’ the cause.
Like her, I’ve recently wondered if #Metoo is in danger of losing its momentum – or worse, its credibility. In the last month alone, Netflix announced that Aziz Ansari – the comedian accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a date – would be welcome to create a third series of his TV
show, Master Of None, ‘when he is ready’. Casey Affleck is also about to star in a new film – less than a year after he skipped the Oscars amid talk of sexual misconduct.
Before that, French actresses including Catherine Deneuve denounced the movement as a ‘hatred of men and sexuality’. For some, #Metoo has become a joke – a kind of byword for ‘snowflake’ feminism, regularly slammed for going ‘too far’ and leaving us all at a loss over how to interact.
But as yet another woman accused Weinstein of rape last week, it’s clear the movement still has further to go. Moreover, it’s about much more than Hollywood, or famous people. In the words of Burke, ‘ This movement is making space for possibility.’ Since # Metoo started almost a year ago, women (and men) everywhere have come forward with their own stories of sexual abuse. Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale; yes, but also the women you and I know, exchanging long- hidden stories about harassment or intimidation. The movement has radically changed the conversation around consent.
The possibility Burke speaks of has also gone beyond sexual harassment. Thanks to #Metoo, women have talked more openly about workplace discrimination, or the battle for equal pay. Michelle Williams, Claire Foy and Haim – in this magazine – have been among those to speak out about being paid less than their male counterparts, despite doing the same work. And that’s given us scope to raise the same concerns – essential given that almost 80% of women in the UK work for companies that pay them less than male colleagues (9.7% less).
One man, Harvey Weinstein, fell last year and it changed everything. Let’s not let the alleged behaviour of one woman have the same effect.
For some, me Too has become a byword For ‘ snowflake’ Feminism