Since a video of Ellen Pompeo making some puzzling comments about Harvey Weinstein back in 2018 resurfaced, she has addressed the backlash, explaining why she said what she said.
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Ellen Pompeo Responds To Backlash Over Resurfaced Comments About Harvey Weinstein
In case you missed it, after years of consistent allegations from women in Hollywood against Harvey Weinstein, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
YouTube | BBC America
The disgraced filmmaker was found guilty of sexual misconduct, including rape.
Long before Harvey was sentenced, *Grey's Anatomy* star, Ellen Pompeo had made some rather unsettling remarks about him and the allegations against him.
YouTube | Oxford Union
“I think we bear some responsibility, not all, but it takes two to tango for sure," Ellen said in a 2018 Q&A with Oxford Union.
“That’s not to blame the victim," she continued.
YouTube | Oxford Union
"That’s just to say — I did go into a room with Harvey Weinstein, I sat at a table with him, I had a probably two and a half hours with him."
"He never said anything inappropriate to me, he never made any sort of physical advance to me.”
YouTube | Oxford Union
“I wouldn’t have gone into that room at night," she said.
"But he did nothing inappropriate toward me," she added.
YouTube | Oxford Union
"Now had he, I would have picked up that glass and smashed him across the side of the face with it".
“So I mean, it’s all what we’re willing to tolerate in our self-esteem".
YouTube | Oxford Union
"And what are we going to put up with, and what are we going to compromise to be liked, to be loved, to be accepted?," she said.
"How bad do we want to be in show business?”
YouTube | Oxford Union
“I’m not going to make excuses for those pigs in Hollywood who do disgusting things to women," she went on.
"However, I do think it’s generations of men, these men clearly were brought up by older men and they clearly watched other men…"
YouTube | Oxford Union
"These men have learned this behavior and I think women also have to be responsible for the signals we put out, for the messages we put out, and the way we present ourselves.”
“I think we’re aware of our power, especially women, we’re aware of our power of seduction very early on and we use it and it comes in good [sic] handy, right?…"
YouTube | Oxford Union
"But there has to be a balance in there," she added.
Knowing what we know now about Harvey Weinstein, upon his conviction, Ellen's comments haven't aged well...
She has since faced major backlash. Fans are calling her remarks "disgusting".
So, she recently took to Twitter to address the criticism and explain herself further.
"Hey girls sorry if video clips are upsetting!!," she said — explaining that her words were taken out of context.
Instagram | @ellenpompeo
"It's out of context & it’s too serious a subject to talk about on a platform like this...," she wrote.
"People who have been abused or assaulted should seek guidance from a therapist...This is not a healthy place for topics this serious."
Instagram | @ellenpompeo
"For those who feel offended or are taking this personally this panel was 2 + years ago," she wrote in a separate tweet
"It was way before the whole stories of the women came out I certainly didn’t know he was a rapist at that point".
Instagram | @ellenpompeo
"That took [expletive] to a whole different level," she wrote. "And... I’m talking about harassment... not assault. Two different things. I was speaking about MY experience of being harassed in Hollywood."
"For years before times up women had to put up with harassment and still do on a regular basis ...it was just part of the job as it is in a lot or all professions ..."
Instagram | @ellenpompeo
"We couldn’t complain like we can now. If we complained we would be out and the man would stay."
"&MY way of coping w/ whatever situations I’ve been in is not a comment on how other women handle things..."
Instagram | @ellenpompeo
"Again Thank God we can speak up now but once again assault and harassment are different both bad but different. Not sure of harassment is seen by law enforcement as a crime," she concluded.
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