The past few weeks have been filled with people sharing their stories of sexual assault, often with the #MeToo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms.
This movement has encouraged other victoms to speak up, share their stories and make their voices heard. I truly commend each and every person for sharing their story.
Furthermore, in recent weeks, there has been a push in Hollywood to speak out against those who have taken advantage of and harmed people, especially women, in and outside of the workplace. Since the accusation of Harvey Weinstein, dozens of actors, producers, directors and other prominent figures in Hollywood have been accused of sexual assault and harassment — whether it be from the present day or decades ago.
One of the cases which has been repeartedly covered in the media and public discourse is Kevin Spacey. He was not only accused of harassing many young men, but also for attempting to overshadow these allegations by coming out as gay.Spacey’s House of Cards has since been cancelled by Netflix. I believe this is a step forward in the industry holding people accountable for their actions.
Additionally, One Tree Hill and The Royal’s producer Mark Schwahn has been accused of sexual assault in a letter penned by 18 cast and crew members including Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush and Audrey Wauchope. Many castmates from One Tree Hill, including male leads James Lafferty, Chad Michael Murray and Robert Buckley have tweeted their support for the women who penned the letter.
These cases are just a blip on the radar of the many instances of sexual assault and harassment not only in Hollywood, or in politics, but in everyday life. Enough is enough.
Finally, those in Hollywood and even in politics are starting to be held accountable for their actions. Victoms have the courage to step forward and face those who have acted unethically, illegally and immorally.
These past few weeks have brought the horrible reality of the Hollywood industry to light, and I am saddened to think about what will happen in the coming weeks. How many more people are going to be accused for harming others? How many more cases of this type of behavior will it take for true change to happen?
I commend each and every person who has come forward to denounce those whose behavior has been nothing short of disgusting.
It is time to change the Hollywood culture, the political culture and the societal culture. It is time that every person feels safe walking into work and feels comfortable in everyday life.
