Harvey Weinstein’s takedown has revealed the upsetting truth about the behind-the-scenes of Hollywood. From prominent men being accused of sexual harassment and assault to women coming forth with their own stories, the reality of harassment in Hollywood is eye-opening. It has created the social media movement #MeToo, started by actress Alyssa Milano to unify women who are victims of sexual assault. And it has caused actors such as Kevin Spacey to have their careers go careening off into space.
One positive within all of these scandals is that it has given female actresses the space and freedom to come forward and talk about their own experiences. They have even reached overseas, for Australian actress Rebel Wilson, most famously known for her role as Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect trilogy, recently took to Twitter to discuss her own incidences of sexual harassment.
“I’ve been away in a ‘bubble’ of sorts creating new comedy overseas but it’s so hard to hear all these stories relating to sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood,” Wilson begins in her series of tweets. Her story begins as the same as many other actresses’ do – in a room with a figure of power, expecting to talk business.
“A male star, in a position of power asked me to go into a room with him and then asked me repeatedly to stick my finger up his ass,” she describes. “All whilst his male ‘friends’ tried to film the incident on their iPhones and laughed. I repeatedly said no and eventually got out of the room.”
The thread continues with the aftermath of the encounter, with Wilson reporting the incident and the studio in question. What came next is unfortunately all too familiar. “I called my agent immediately and my lawyer made a complaint with the studio – basically to protect myself that in the event something similar ever occurred I’d be able to walk out of the job and not obliged to return…Later I was threatened by one of the star’s representatives to be nice and support the male star. I refused.”
Wilson says she has spent time since that incident telling the story in much more graphic detail in order to warn others off of him, lest they be subjected to the same behavior. She also recounts another encounter, this time with a high-ranking director. “Nothing physical happened because the guy’s wife called and started abusing him over the phone for sleeping with actresses,” Wilson recalls. “I bolted out of there immediately,”
She acknowledges that while her stories are horrific and should be used to aid other women from falling prey to sexual predators within the industry, there are other women who had suffered far worse. “I feel lucky that I grew up in a pro-female environment, going to an all-girls high school, and that I have such a strong sense of self and have taken self-defense classes. I had the ability to escape both incidents. I realize not everyone is as lucky.”
I feel lucky that I grew up in a pro-female environment, going to an all-girls high school, and that I have such a strong sense of self and have taken self-defense classes. I had the ability to escape both incidents. I realize not everyone is as lucky.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) November 11, 2017
“… if I witness this behaviour, whether it happens to me or someone I know, I will no longer be POLITE,” one tweet reads.
Wilson is receiving an outpouring of support and applause for coming out with her story. Her experience adds an international viewpoint to the rapidly-growing visibility the issue of sexual harassment in the industry is receiving, and is important in making known that sexual harassment isn’t just a problem in the United States; it’s a global issue.
Featured Image by the Cosmopolitan on Las Vegas on Flickr
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