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This past Thursday, October 19th, Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o joined the ranks of women coming forward with stories of sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. 

To say her story is deeply unsettling would be an understatement:

Lupita Nyong’o writes for NYT about her experience with Weinstein https://t.co/zvWKmaZxVc pic.twitter.com/ix145FjAhh

— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) October 19, 2017

Lupita Nyong’o writes in @nytopinion: What Harvey Weinstein did to me https://t.co/9m5tKiQTPm pic.twitter.com/1GF0nYxhcn

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 19, 2017

On Friday, Weinstein’s spokesperson gave a comment denying crucial parts of Nyong’o’s story:

Update: Weinstein has responded to Nyong’o’s claim, saying he “has a different recollection of the events” https://t.co/B3GlLjSI8E

— Vulture (@vulture) October 20, 2017

The world collectively reacted:

Okay Harvey pic.twitter.com/8plzrlqkru

— Erin Blakemore (@heroinebook) October 21, 2017

Weinstein himself even made a statement:

“Last year she sent a personal invitation 2 Mr. Weinstein 2 see her in her Broadway show ‘Eclipsed.’”-Passive aggressive victim blaming https://t.co/R84EZsD9SP

— Stephanie Parrott (@StephParrott) October 21, 2017

Twitter was not having it:

NO ONE WILL EVER BELIEVE YOU, HARVEY. DON’T YOU DARE TRY TO DISGRACE OUR FAVE GIRL.

— Chrissa 👻 (@chrissahardy) October 20, 2017

And many theorized why Weinstein would weigh in this time when he hadn’t before…

I find it bizarre that Lupita, the only black actress who has shared her harassment story of HW, he issues a response. But not 2 any others. https://t.co/dqiWegQGFH

— Melissa Silverstein (@melsil) October 21, 2017

“I’m cool with all these white women coming forward but I’ll be DAMNED IF A BLACK WOMAN DOES!!” https://t.co/yJxTsT7rMY

— D’Challa 🇯🇲 (@Dee_animated) October 21, 2017

Out of the 40+ accounts of sexual harassment and assault, he goes after Lupita. 🤔 https://t.co/wKxeGru8JE

— Chrissa 👻 (@chrissahardy) October 20, 2017

Sexual predator admitting that he preyed on white woman but denying that he preyed on a black woman. Shocking. https://t.co/ZeCZkPS6Ce

— generally dgaf ✌🏼 (@GHRealDeal) October 21, 2017

Even at what should be the lowest point in his life, he doesn’t want the world to believe that he tried to sexually assault a Black woman. https://t.co/OI7WLmUTkf

— Hannah Drake (@HannahDrake628) October 21, 2017

He probably didn’t like how her account showed her ways to remove his power over a situation. I’m sure her being a woc affects it too.

— Tim, Durdle Supreme (@timswar) October 20, 2017

This is just the latest in a longstanding pattern:

ALL women, don’t ignore Weinstein’s questioning of the woman of color. This is what WOC face everyday. We are discredited. #Weinstein https://t.co/uN6wfscCfQ

— mothermade (@mothermade) October 21, 2017

The masses stand with Nyong’o:

Think I’ll bet on Ms. Nyong’o’s version. https://t.co/xlLLk4wa21

— Russell La Claire (@RustyBrown47) October 21, 2017

I believe Lupita. Period. https://t.co/4jYheBHQQ4

— Beandrea July (@beandreadotcom) October 20, 2017

Weinstein has been fired from his job at the Weinstein company, expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and is now being investigated for sexual assault by the LA Police Department. 

Harvey Weinstein is under investigation for an alleged sexual assault in LA in 2013, the @latimes reports. https://t.co/COaSZR7wkT

— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) October 19, 2017

H/T – Twitter, Variety

The awful ubiquity of the #MeToo campaign and Harvey Weinstein’s fall from movie mogul to universally shunned abuser have encouraged the victims of other powerful abusers to come forward. 

Last week a young man posted his own ‘me too’ story. Without naming names, he described a talent agent who drugged and sexually assaulted him when he was  ten years old. Other victims put the pieces together and formed a quiet circle of support until the original abuser actually used the ‘poke’ function on Facebook in the creepiest way possible:

We  haven’t had any correspondence in a decade, and aren’t friends on FB, yet today, out of the blue, he “pokes” me. He must have been made aware  of the post by one of our many mutuals. Was his poke passive aggressive? An abuser making himself known, a quiet threat? An admission of guilt  with a smirky, ‘just try me’ ? I don’t know and I don’t care. It felt gross.

So that young man, Blaise Godbe, decided to go public: the agent’s name was Tyler Grasham, and he worked for APA Agency still representing child actors. 

Well, that was Monday. By Friday, two of Grasham’s clients, Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and Descendents star Cameron Boyce, both dropped him as their representation. By the end of Friday, the agency fired Grasham. 

Finn in particular earned praise for his rapid actions dumping the toxic agent. 

Smart kid, made the right choice. A small step towards progress

— smol 🐾 shandy (@iKerochu) October 21, 2017

Honestly @FinnSkata gives me hope for the future generations. https://t.co/o6JkWNPJ9m

— rachel leishman (@RachelLeishman) October 20, 2017

2017. When America’s moral compass is a 14-year old. https://t.co/lK9o0lr9y3

— Bill Weir (@BillWeirCNN) October 21, 2017

This has made me teary. The industry is changing. He is 14. ❤️ https://t.co/GImokldkd7

— Milly Thomas 🌈 (@missmillythomas) October 21, 2017

The Stranger Things kids are truly the change we wish to see in the world. https://t.co/VoPvG3iBmp

— Jamie K. White (@jamiekCNN) October 21, 2017

Let’s hope this signals a deep shift in the way these industries work. 

H/T: Twitter

As more details of the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations come to light, people are asking how this could have gone on so long without anyone saying anything. What they may not know, or may have forgotten, is that people did speak up. One of those people was singer and actress Courtney Love.

She spoke up all the way back in 2005, on live TV in fact.

via GIPHY

GIPHY

It happened as she was walking the red carpet at Comedy Central’s roast of Pamela Anderson. Interviewer Natasha Leggero asked Courtney if she had any advice for young girls moving to Hollywood. Courtney, who had been smiling up to that point, turned away from Natasha and responded:

“Um… I’ll get libeled if I say it.”

Twitter Screenshot

After a moment she turned back to the camera and blurted out:

“If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party at the Four Seasons, don’t go.”

Courtney Love was WARNING about Harvey Weinstein in 2005!

“If Harvey Weinstein invites u to a private party at the Four Seasons, DON’T GO” pic.twitter.com/RK9Vruxy2T

— Chet Cannon (@Chet_Cannon) October 14, 2017

At the time, many people dismissed her comment as humor. She was, after all, speaking at a Comedy Central roast, where being edgy and controversial are par for the course. To some people, her reputation, her struggles with addiction and her obvious intoxication during the roast made her less than credible.

Even the interviewer herself had completely forgotten about the exchange.

I forgot that Courtney ❤️ told me to stay away from Harvey Weinstein 12 years ago https://t.co/A0150bit0X

— Natasha Leggero (@natashaleggero) October 14, 2017

Twitter had thoughts…

It’s all for not. She was such a basket case beforehand that she had no credibility. the 1 time she’s sober and makes sense no was listening

— Tronald (@BinksterD) October 14, 2017

I was as guilty as anyone disregarding what she said cause of drugs, yet shit like what Harvey did is why drug and alcohol addiction begin.

— Rebecca DiVerniero (@Deevs1369) October 16, 2017

I remember, but unfortunately she had such a big drug problem + a propensity for trash talking people, that I didn’t believe. sorry Court

— scrєamqυєєη 😱💀 (@mayqueeeen) October 15, 2017

If only Courtney’s words hadn’t fallen on deaf ears…

I can only imagine how many dismissed her as crazy and suffered for it.

— CommentaTRICKS (@ms_radorable) October 14, 2017

Well, not entirely deaf, perhaps. 

According to Courtney, she was banned from CAA and essentially forbidden from working in Hollywood as a result of her comment.

And she was banned from Creative Artists Agency as a result, example to others who thought of speaking up.

— DPeck (@multigun1) October 16, 2017

2/@Courtney says CAA blackballed her after she spoke out. Now it says👇. I’d like an expose on whether CAA/others covered for Weinstein. #NYT pic.twitter.com/tEuOyiluaI

— TheBethPenalty (@_thebethpenalty) October 15, 2017

Other celebrities are showing Courtney some love.

Like actress Asia Argento:

The great, brave @Courtney warned the world in 2005, NOBODY listened https://t.co/JEzq9efAwO

— Asia Argento (@AsiaArgento) October 15, 2017

And producer Judd Apatow:

Courtney warned everyone. https://t.co/TztCFfqYqw

— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) October 14, 2017

Whatever way people saw her back in 2005, this is how people are viewing her now:

Gutsy….12 years ahead of her time….no air cover, no boots on ground to back her up. Warrior. Rad street cred.

— Scott Slinker (@scott_slinker) October 15, 2017

People are so quick to discredit anything she says, but Courtney Love is as real as it gets. Love her!

— Cat (@QueerDucky69) October 14, 2017

H/T: Twitter

The Weinstein Company fired its co-founder Harvey Weinstein on Sunday following a New York Times exposé that uncovered his decades-long history of sexual harassment and predatory behavior against women, including actresses like Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, as well as former employees of the Weinstein Company.

Amid the scandal, conservative voices have called out so-called “liberal hypocrisy” and have criticized the “mainstream media” for insulating Weinstein from criticism because he backs Democratic candidates and causes.

Some prime examples:

Where’s the outcry from the Democrats oh there is none because Weinstein donates Millions to them

— Lloyd (@buffSoldier73) October 9, 2017

Don’t you think the sky would be falling if Harvey Weinstein was a Republican? It sure is good to have the media/Democrats colluding.

— Mike Wonder (@mikebwonder) October 9, 2017

Democrat bigwig Harvey Weinstein is a pig who abused & harassed women for years.

The reaction from Hollywood Democrats?

Not. One. Word.

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) October 6, 2017

Cue attorney Jill Filipovic, who took to Twitter to shut down the conservative haters:

The entire “liberal media” covered the Weinstein story & forced him to step down. Right-wing media pushed a sexual predator for president.

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) October 8, 2017

Filipovic’s tweet sparked a conversation and she stuck around to respond…

“Covered” might be a tad strong. How about “begrudgingly acknowledged when publicly confronted with irrefutable evidence”?

— Ted (@ted_rood) October 9, 2017

Actually no. The Times spent significant time and resources hunting down this story. Previous reporters tried and failed.

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) October 9, 2017

What I don’t get is why #MSM gave Trump a pass on all the sexual allegations, esp after he bragged about assaulting women.

— Kathryn Grace (@YayYaysKitchen) October 9, 2017

I don’t think the mainstream media gave him a pass at all – there was tons of coverage. I think voters, his party, and right-wing media did.

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) October 9, 2017

Many users agreed with Filipovic:

maybe if the liberal media did a better job of covering Trump’s abuses as they happened, he wouldn’t be President today?

— GasMask Man (@BjarniGautur) October 9, 2017

The liberal media has covered Trump 24/7 since the election. They handed him the presidency on a silver platter.

— chrispixie (@gmapixhie) October 9, 2017

If the right wing believes otherwise, how’d they hear about the Weinstein story in the 1st place?

— Son of the Moon (@27Seascapes) October 9, 2017

And what about the right’s silence when it came to Fox News:

Did I miss the hand wringing and self-immolation over Ailes and O’Reillly? Or was it the women’s fault?

— Brett (@calvert_brett) October 9, 2017

And didn’t call for Ailes or Reilly to resign immediately.

— msmiles (@msmiles13) October 9, 2017

Pushed a sexual predator for president on a network composed entirely of sexual predators from top to bottom.

— Sean Gallagher (@ruminasean) October 8, 2017

And speaking of a double standard…

Right-wing are also ignoring this wee nugget: pic.twitter.com/UZ6V9hAcPO

— Scott (@Scottishborn71) October 9, 2017

Trump has continued to deny the allegations against him, claiming that he’s been a victim of media bias and a political smear campaign, but was not shy about weighing in against Weinstein, saying on Saturday:

“I’ve known Harvey Weinstein for a long time. I’m not at all surprised to see it.”

H/T: Twitter