Has #MeToo Gone Too Far? Comedian Aziz Ansari's Accuser Receives Backlash For ‘Jumping The Shark’
Hollywood's latest anti-harassment movement, Time's Up, and the viral hashtag #MeToo have brought thousands together with the common goal to make women feel safe again. While the campaigns have good intentions, they have also drawn criticism from many who felt that it had begun a "witch hunt" in Hollywood and crossed the lines of what it considered to be "consensual" and "non-consensual" sexual activity.
Comedian and actor Aziz Ansari, who was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman, is the latest actor to become the topic of the current controversy.
Has It Gone Too Far?
Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman who goes by the alias "Grace." Grace alleged that the two went on a date in September 2017 after meeting at the Emmy's afterparty.
The two went back to his apartment where they engaged in a "sexual activity" including oral sex. "Grace", a 23 year-old photographer, stated she told Ansari "no" numerous times, which she claims he ignored. Instead he tried to initiate intercourse with her. The woman came forward with her accusation after she stated that it was "painful" for her to watch Ansari accept his award at the Golden Globes for his role in Master of None.
Ansari responded to the anonymous woman's claims, acknowledging that the two did go back to his apartment after their date and he received a message from her the following day stating she was "uncomfortable" with what happened.
"I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said," Ansari stated.
The woman's accusation has sparked a backlash with many slamming her comments as it will discredit everything Time's Up stands for.
HLN host Ashleigh Banfield touched on the subject during the segment of Crime and Punishment, stating that the women's claims were "reckless" and that "Grace" was describing what looked to be a "bad date."
"You have chiseled away at a movement that I, along with all of my sisters in the workplace, have been dreaming of for decades, a movement that has finally changed an oversexed professional environment that I, too, have struggled through at times over the last 30 years in broadcasting," Banfiled stated.
Other actors such as Matt Damon and Liam Nesson have stated that while they do support the women who are coming forward and speaking against their attackers, it has taken away attention from the men in Hollywood who have not been accused of a crime.
