Gwyneth Paltrow’s coming forward with her sexual harassment allegation against Harvey Weinstein helped open the floodgates — and, looking back, the actress and entrepreneur is proud to have played a small part in this powerful #MeToo movement.
“I think it’s incredible what’s happening,” Paltrow, 45, told CNBC in a new interview. “This is long overdue. There’s been this incredible confluence of events that’s really led to women coming together and feeling safe in numbers to come forward and talk about their experiences across all different industries.”
The “Avengers: Infinity War” actress, a mom of two, said her daughter, Apple Martin, played a part in her decision to speak out to the New York Times last month about the harassment she faced from the movie producer when she was a 22-year-old working on the Miramax film “Emma.”
“It’s my hope that this is the beginning of something important and different and that my daughter, when she goes into the workplace, won’t experience what you, presumably you, and I and millions of other women have had to endure. And so it feels important, and I’m happy that I have played a small part in it.” As for advice she’d give young, aspiring actresses, Paltrow said that they should be in it for the right reasons.
As for advice she’d give young, aspiring actresses, Paltrow said that they should be in it for the right reasons.
“It’s difficult because I think a lot of people are drawn to this industry because they are looking to find wholeness through fame,” she said. “If that’s why you’re here, then don’t. The only reason to do this is if you have an incredible burning desire to channel creativity and to really be an artist. … I think the culture we are living in now is rewarding cheap fame, and I think that a lot of people think the industry is a way to do that.”
But Paltrow has high hopes for the future — largely because of what she’s seen from her daughter and her peers.
“I’m very heartened by what I see in my daughter’s generation,” she said. “These girls are kick-ass. They are strong. They know themselves. They are very protective of their physical space. They’re not like I was at 13. They’ve very sure-footed. They’re thinking big. I think something really interesting is coming in the next generation. I think these girls are amazing.”
Following the Times’ initial report on Weinstein’s decades of harassment of women, Paltrow shared her experience in an article that also included claims made by Angelina Jolie. “I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,” said the actress, who is the daughter of Blythe Danner and the late Bruce Paltrow.
Since then, more than 70 women have come forward to share stories of misconduct related to the moviemaker. That led to women — both in the industry and outside of it — sharing their stories in a campaign with the hashtag #MeToo. Some 300-plus women have come forward with allegations about director James Toback. This week, director Brett Ratner was accused of misconduct by several women. Allegations have also been made against actor Kevin Spacey, who reportedly acted inappropriately with men, some of whom were underage.
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