In the last 12 months, we’ve seen people across the globe speak openly about the wrongs made against them by men – the sexual assault, the abuse and the harassment – in the workplace.
No, really – let’s reflect on this for a moment… the tenacity of the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements have given a voice to countless women previously living in agonising, deafening silence (while simultaneously making infamous household names of the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey).
So, when thinking about the fact that we live in this empowered time when women’s voices are being heard now more than ever, and why crimes against women have seen the public naming and shaming of a shocking number of Hollywood’s elite, it begins to become clear as to why Tinseltown’s leading ladies may be avoiding Ryan Seacrest.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chatting to Ryan on the Golden Globes’ red carpet last year.
On February 26, Variety published allegations made by Seacrest’s former personal stylist, Suzie Hardy, who claims she was sexually abused by the Hollywood giant during the six years she worked for him – claims he vehemently denies.
Despite E! conducting an “extremely comprehensive and thorough” investigation into the allegations (they concluded that they had “insufficient evidence to support the claims made by Hardy), it appears news travels fast in La La Land.
Prior to the Oscars, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke called for the TV host to step aside from attending and covering the Academy Awards’ red carpet, stating: “They really shouldn’t send him [to the Oscars],” said Burke, speaking of E!. “We shouldn’t have to make those choices of, ‘Do we or don’t we?'” On top of that, a Care2 petition calling on stars to boycott E! News following the Seacrest allegations has since clocked up more than 20,000 signatures.
And, if Twitter is anything to go by, it seems that others in Hollywood may agree…
Ryan at this year’s Oscars.
As reported by Variety, not only did Seacrest, who starts in poll position on the Oscars red carpet (this year, interviewing veteran Giuliana Rancic was placed 20metres behind Seacrest), fail to secure chats with celebrities including Jennifer Garner, Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino and Viola Davis, but his interview with Empire star Taraji P. Henson left the internet hypothesising…
When chatting to Seacrest, Henson said: “The universe has a way of taking care of taking care of good people,” as she touched his chin.
“You know what I mean?”
Then, in her very next interview with an ABC reporter, Henson replied to one of the reporter’s questions with: “I’m great now that I’m in your company.”
Some Tweeters believe Henson is throwing shade at Seacrest; others note that Henson hugged Seacrest after their interview so there’s no love lost between the two.
No matter her intentions, or whether the allegations made against Seacrest are proven to be true or not, what we can see here is that women’s voices are being heard, their stories believed. Allegations of sexual abuse are FINALLY being taken seriously – serious enough to generate public debate over whether someone as high-power Hollywood as Seacrest is being snubbed by his equally famous (female) counterparts or not.
Because, in the words of every woman who’s been sexually violated, abused or harassed, #metoo.
