Power of Celebrity Influence: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
As public figures, celebrities have the privilege of speaking out on societal issues and having their message reach a widespread audience. Their platform allows them to raise awareness on the issues they are passionate about. Most recently, amid scandal, many celebrities have been sharing their experiences with sexual assault and harassment in the entertainment industry.
A few weeks ago the industry was shaken up by the publishing of a New York Times article outlining decades worth of sexual assault allegations against major Hollywood hotshot and film producer Harvey Weinstein.
Shortly after this news broke we began to see some celebrity reactions from stars such as Lena Dunham and Brie Larson. Weinstein was fired by his company a few days after this story broke, and issued an apology for the harm he has done, while still denying the allegations.
Quickly after the news broke the story began gaining traction as more and more women were willing to share their stories about their encounters with Weinstein. Within days over 10 more allegations against Weinstein were published and it did not stop there. Stars such as Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevingne, Ashley Judd, and Gwyneth Paltrow all spoke out about their personal experiences with harassment and assault by Weinstein. Other celebrities such as Judi Dench and Meryl Streep have been active in showing their support for those affected, and their condemnation of Weinstein’s actions.
Not only are these celebrities willing tell the public what they have been through, they are also inspiring women to feel comfortable speaking out on sexual assault. Boogie Nights and The Hangover star Heather Graham, in an interview with Variety, said, “My is that this moment starts a dialogue on redefining sexual harassment in the workplace and empowers women to speak out when they feel uncomfortable in a situation.”
A few weeks into the scandal, the celebrity outreach culminated in a social media hashtag campaign called #MeToo. The #MeToo campaign allowed for celebrities and all women alike to acknowledge if they too have been affected by sexual assault or harassment. This campaign not only drove awareness for this issue that is so prevalent in our society, but also allowed so many women affected by this to know that they are not alone.
