Ben Affleck on Sexual Misconduct in Hollywood: I'm "Looking at My Own Behavior"

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor told The Associated Press he is “making sure I’m part of the solution.”

By Elyse Dupre Nov 06, 2017 2:20 PMTags
As more people speak out about sexual misconduct in Hollywood, Ben Affleck wants to be "part of the solution." 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Justice League actor told The Associated Press he's "looking at my own behavior and addressing that and making sure I'm part of the solution." So what does this solution look like to Affleck? According to THR, Affleck told The AP two things need to happen: "More women need to be pushed to power" and sexual harassment needs to be "a men's issue" and not something only women speak out against.

Affleck has faced a few of his own scandals.

Back in October, The New York Times published an exposé detailing decades of sexual harassment allegations against Harvey WeinsteinRose McGowan was mentioned in the article for a $100,000 settlement she reached with Weinstein in 1997  "after an episode in a hotel room during the Sundance Film Festival." She also later accused him of rape in a tweet.

Note: Weinstein's attorney, Charles J. Harder, said The New York Times' article was "saturated with false and defamatory statements" in a statement to E! News. Weinstein's spokesperson Sallie Hofmeister also stated, "any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein" after the New Yorker published a separate exposé in which it reported three women accused Weinstein of rape.

Just days after The New York Times article was published, McGowan started tweeting at actors, including Affleck, for staying silent on the matter. 

Soon afterwards, Affleck wrote he was "saddened and angry" over the allegations and that they "made me sick" in a social media post.

After Affleck shared his statement, a Twitter user named Shanice Brim said Affleck allegedly "grabbed Hilarie Burton's breasts on TRL once. Everyone forgot though." Burton tweeted back, "I didn't forget." In response to Burton, Brim then tweeted she was "so sorry that happened to you," to which Burton replied, "Seriously, thank you for that. I was a kid."

Affleck apologized to Burton in a tweet and said he "acted inappropriately" towards her.

Soon afterwards, makeup artist Annamarie Tendler, who is married to comedian John Mulaney, made further allegations against Affleck in a series of tweets, one of which read he "grabbed my a-- at a Golden Globes party in 2014."

 

"In addition, TV writer Jen Statsky — who worked on popular shows like Broad City and Parks and Recreation — seemed to support the makeup artist's claims in a tweet of her own. 

"I was also at this party and *multiple* friends had this same exact experience," she wrote in response to Tendler's tweets.

On Monday, Affleck sat down for an interview with Fox 5 DC and revealed he's going to be donating any further residuals from Miramax or Weinstein movies to Film Independent or RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).

When it's mentioned that director Kevin Smith is donating his future residuals from Weinstein projects to women in film, Affleck said he's giving "any of my further residuals that I get from a Miramax or a Weinstein movie" to F.I. or to RAINN.

"One is Film Independent and the other is a women's organization and I just didn't want to cash anymore checks from the guy, you know?" Affleck said. "I don't usually bring it up but it was Kevin's idea and I thought it was a good one and I hope it catches on."

E! News reached out to Affleck's team at the time.