Sexual Misconduct in Hollywood, American TV, Sports & Politics

Bakit sa Pilipinas walang ganitong mga exposés? Wala ding #metoo sa mga social media posted by our local celebs. Ganyan ba talaga kalinis ang ating TV & movie industries? I doubt it. The victims I think are just keeping quiet about their sexual abuse or exploitation. Some victims (both male & female stars) are probably even willing participants in this illicit relationship in exchange for favors (jobs, projects, money, car, real estate properties). Some even end up being mistresses or frequent sexual partners (for a price I'm sure).

The accusations against Harvey Weinstein have opened a floodgate & put new pressure on companies, industries, and political leaders to address the problem. Let's not forget Bill Clinton was impeached and then acquitted of perjury and obstruction of lawmakers' investigation into his sexual encounters with a White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Even Donald Trump had been accused by several women of sexual misconduct.

Here are some of the men accused since the Weinstein accusations surfaced in October:

Actor James Franco: 5 women accused Franco, 39, of behavior they found to be inappropriate or sexually exploitative. 4 were his students, and another said he was her mentor. Almost immediately after James Franco won a Golden Globe on Jan. 7, "The Breakfast Club" actress Ally Sheedy tweeted: "James Franco just won. Please never ever ask me why I left the film/tv business." (Franco directed Sheedy in a 2014 off-Broadway play.) It was not exactly clear what Sheedy meant in her posts, but they quickly revived rumors of alleged sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior. Violet Paley, another actress, claimed in a tweet that Franco once pushed her head toward his "exposed p*nis."

Celebrity chef Mario Batali: Stepped down from daily operations at his restaurant empire following reports of sexual misconduct over a period of at least 20 years.

Paul Haggis, 64, the Oscar-winning filmmaker who wrote "Million Dollar Baby" and directed "Crash": Accused of sexual misconduct by at least 5 women. In a civil lawsuit, a publicist accuses Haggis of rape. That lawsuit inspired 3 other women to come forward with their own sexual misconduct accusations, including another publicist who claims he forced her to perform oral sex and then raped her. His lawyer said he didn't rape anybody.

Celebrity chef John Besh: Accused by 25 women of sexual harassment. He has stepped down from the company he founded.

Singer Nick Carter (of Backstreet Boys): Melissa Schuman, formerly of the pop group Dream, accused Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter on Nov. 2 of raping her when she was 18. Carter denies the allegations.

Comedian Louis C.K.: Accused by 5 women of sexual misconduct. Planned release of film "I Love You, Daddy" halted. Netflix special canceled. He admitted the allegations are true and has apologized.

Cinefamily executives Hadrian Belove and Shadie Elnashai: Accused of sexual misconduct. Movie theater shut down in the wake of allegations due to crippling debt.

Actor Richard Dreyfuss: Accused by a woman of sexual harassment. He was accused on Nov. 10 of sexual harassment by writer Jessica Teich, who said Dreyfuss showed her his p*nis. Dreyfuss denies exposing himself, but admitted that "at the height of my fame in the late 1970s I became an asshole — the kind of performative masculine man my father had modeled for me to be. I lived by the motto, 'If you don’t flirt, you die.' And flirt I did ... But I am not an assaulter."

Gary Goddard: The producer and writer (Masters of the Universe), was accused by ER actor Anthony Edwards of molesting him in an essay published Nov. 10 on Medium. Edwards says he first met Goddard when he was 12, and served as a leader for Edwards' group of friends. "Everyone has the need to bond, and I was no exception," Edwards wrote. "My vulnerability was exploited. I was molested by Goddard, my best friend was raped by him — and this went on for years. The group of us, the gang, stayed quiet." Goddard's press representative Sam Singer put out a statement on Nov. 10 "unequivocally" denying Edward's charges. Since then, eight more former child actors have stepped forward to accuse Goddard of sexual harassment. Less than a month later, Goddard took a leave of absence from the entertainment design firm he founded, The Goddard Group.

Film producer Adam Fields: Accused of offering a promotion to a woman at his former employer, Relativity Media, in exchange for sex. He has denied the allegations.

Director-producer Gary Goddard: Accused by one man of sexually molesting him when the man was 12. He denies the allegation.

Casting employee Andy Henry: Admitted to urging women to take off their clothes during coaching sessions in 2008 while working on the "CSI" series. He was fired by his current employer.

Actor Dustin Hoffman: Accused by a woman of sexually harassing her when she was only 17. He has apologized for his behavior.

Actor Robert Knepper: Accused by one woman of sexual assault. He denies the allegations.

Showrunner Andrew Kreisberg (television writer, producer and comic book writer): Accused by 19 women of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching. The "Supergirl" and "Arrow" showrunner has been suspended by Warner Bros. Television Group. He is the executive producer of the CW shows "Arrow," "Supergirl," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" and "The Flash". He told Variety he has made comments on women's appearances and clothes "but they were not sexualized."

Pixar and Disney Animation chief John Lasseter: Accused by several women of unwanted touching and has announced he is taking a six-month leave of absence. He has acknowledged some "missteps" with employees and apologized for any behavior that made workers uncomfortable.

Actor Jeremy Piven: Accused by three women of sexual misconduct. He denies all allegations.

Filmmaker Brett Ratner: Accused by at least 6 women of sexual harassment. Actresses Olivia Munn, Katharine Towne, Jamie Ray Newman, Natasha Henstridge, Jorina King and model and singer Eri Sasaki all alleged varying accounts of inappropriate behavior from director Brett Ratner. Munn and Henstridge both told The Times they experienced separate incidents early in their careers in which Ratner masturbated in front of them. Munn said she was delivering food as a favor in 2004 to what she believed was Ratner’s empty trailer, and was frightened to find him inside. More than a week after Ratner released his statement, on Nov. 10, actress Ellen Page accused Ratner of making sexual and homophobic comments to her while she was working with him on the 2006 film "X-Men: The Last Stand." She also alleges that Ratner "outed" her as gay while he was disparaging her. Playboy shelved projects with Ratner and Ratner stepped away from Warner Bros. related activities. He denies the allegations.

Comedy festival organizer Gilbert Rozon: Accused by at least 9 women of sexually harassing or sexually assaulting them. Rozon stepped down as president of Montreal's renowned "Just for Laughs" festival and apologized "to all those I have offended during my life."

Producer Chris Savino: Accused of harassing up to 12 women. Fired from Nickelodeon. He has apologized for his behavior.

Actor Steven Seagal: Accused by 2 women of rape. He denies the allegations. Actress Portia de Rossi tweeted that she once auditioned for the former action star in his office, where he "said how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants." Actress Rae Dawn Chong told The Hollywood Reporter of a similar story. She said the talent agency that represented her from 1989-90 had her meet Seagal inside of his hotel room at night. She said he exposed himself to her and that after she told her agent what happened, it impacted her career. She later left the agency, she said, "because it was like a pimp situation."Actress Jenny McCarthy also recounted an audition with Seagal in 1995 for the film "Under Siege 2," telling SiriusXM that she was excited to read for the part when he told her to "relax" on a couch. But he then requested that she pull down her dress, she said, which prompted her to run out to her car. But Seagal followed her, she added, and told her not to tell anyone of their encounter. Eva LaRue, of "All My Children" and "CSI: Miami," told Deadline that Seagal locked her in her room, pulled back his kimono and unveiled his underwear. She was 22 and waiting for an audition.

Def Jam Records mogul Russell Simmons: Accused by model Keri Claussen Khalighi of coercing her to perform a sex act and later penetrating her without her consent in his New York apartment in 1991. Simmons has disputed her account, saying the relationship was consensual.

Actor Tom Sizemore: Accused of groping an 11-year-old actress in 2003. Utah prosecutors declined to file charges, citing witness and evidence problems. He denies the allegation.

Actor Kevin Spacey: Accused by at least 24 men of sexual misconduct or assault. Harry Dreyfuss, an actor and son of Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, has accused Spacey of groping him in 2008. The younger Dreyfuss claimed in a Buzzfeed article that Spacey put his hand on his thigh and later groped his crotch when Dreyfuss was 18. Spacey "absolutely denies the allegations" from Dreyfuss. Heather Unruh, a former television anchor, told reporters that Spacey bought her then 18-year-old son "drink after drink after drink" at a crowded restaurant in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in July 2016, and then "stuck his hand inside my son's pants and grabbed his genitals." London police reportedly investigating two sexual assaults. Fired from "House of Cards" and replaced in Ridley Scott's completed film "All the Money in the World." Massachusetts prosecutors are investigating one allegation. His former publicist has said he is seeking unspecified treatment.

Actor Jeffrey Tambor: 2 women — an actress on his show "Transparent" and his assistant — allege sexual misconduct. He denies the allegation, saying in a statement that he has "never been a predator — ever." Tambor said this week he doesn't see how he can return to the Amazon series. Jeffrey Tambor, who won critical acclaim for his portrayal of a transgender woman in hit TV series ‘Transparent’, was accused on Nov. 16 of sexually harassing a transgender actor on the show.

Actor George Takei: One man alleges sexual assault. He denies the allegation.

Writer-director James Toback: Accused by hundreds of women of sexual harassment. Beverly Hills police investigating complaints. He has denied the allegations to the Los Angeles Times.

"Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner: Accused by one woman of sexual harassment. He denies the allegation.

Producer Harvey Weinstein: Accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment or sexual assaults, including rape. A wave of employees and actresses, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, alleged sexual harassment and assault in explosive back-to-back reports in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Asia Argento, an Italian actress who told The New Yorker she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein in 1997, tweeted a list of names of more than 80 women who had allegedly been sexually harassed, assaulted, raped or molested by Weinstein dating back to the late 1970s. Argento said she compiled the list with help from other Weinstein accusers. In a Dec. 13 op-ed in The New York Times, actress Salma Hayek accused Weinstein of threatening to shut down production of her movie, "Frida," unless she agreed to do a sex scene with another woman. Hayek also alleged Weinstein pursued her, made sexually suggestive and inappropriate comments and used his position to intimidate her and even threaten her life. Fired by The Weinstein Co. and expelled from various professional guilds. Under investigation by police departments in New York, London, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex, but he has apologized for causing "a lot of pain" with "the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past." Five days after blasting his brother, Harvey Weinstein, as a “very sick man” and a “world class liar,” Bob Weinstein was accused of making repeated romantic advances to a showrunner and refusing to take no for an answer. It was first reported by Variety.

Oliver Stone: Actress and former Playboy model Carrie Stevens accused writer and director Oliver Stone of groping her at a party during the 1990s in a tweet responding to Stone’s remarks about the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Actor Ed Westwick: Accused by 2 women of sexual assault. The BBC pulled an Agatha Christie adaptation from its television schedule and halted production on a second sitcom starring the former "Gossip Girl' actor. Los Angeles police are investigating. He denies the allegations.

Actress Kristina Cohen wrote a Facebook post saying that she and a boyfriend had gone to Ed Westwick's home three years ago. Cohen said she took a nap in one of the rooms, and that when she woke up, the "Gossip Girl" actor was sexually assaulting her. She said she tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. Following Cohen's post, former actress Aurélie Wynn shared on Facebook a claim that she was raped by Westwick while taking a nap in July 2014.

Ben Affleck: Hours after actor Ben Affleck released a statement condemning Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual misconduct, Affleck was accused of groping Hilarie Burton, an actress and former host of MTV’s “Total Request Live,” in the early 2000s.“ I was a kid,” Burton, now 35, said on Twitter. Makeup artist Annamarie Tendler also accused Affleck of inappropriately grabbing her during a 2014 party. “I would also love to get an apology from Ben Affleck who grabbed my ass at a Golden Globes party in 2014,” she said on Twitter.

Bill Cosby: Once called "America's Dad," Bill Cosby built a career around his Everyman image; now he's facing allegations of sexual assault. Cosby is charged with 3 counts of aggravated indecent sexual assault stemming from an encounter at his nearby home with ex-Temple University basketball manager Andrea Constand in 2004. His first trial on the charges ended in a mistrial on June 19 following five days of deadlocked jury deliberations. Cosby has been accused by numerous women of rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct. Assault allegations against Cosby became more public after an October 2014 comedy routine by comedian Hannibal Buress alluding to Cosby's covert sexual misbehavior went viral, and many additional claims were made after that date. The dates of the alleged incidents span from 1965 to 2008 across 10 U.S. states and one Canadian province. Cosby has maintained his innocence and repeatedly denied the allegations. Most of the alleged acts fall outside the statutes of limitations for criminal legal proceedings, but criminal charges have been filed against Cosby in one case and numerous civil lawsuits have been brought against him.

Bill O’Reilly: When the complaints against O’Reilly came to light, it was 5 women with similar charges, and $13 million was paid out to settle the suits. WELL, it appears what we knew wasn’t the worst of it. Many thought it odd that O’Reilly signed a 4-year, $25 million extension to his Fox News contract in February of this year (2017), only to be out the door by April. But what happened in January? A whopping $32 million was paid out on a sixth, previously unknown sexual harassment claim. The move to re-up O’Reilly’s contract, after such a massive sexual harassment case, was apparently a business call from Rupert Murdoch and his sons, the top executives of Fox News’ parent company, 21stCentury Fox. They wanted to stand by him, but when the other cases were made public, it became a little too troublesome. Boycotts were swirling and they were losing sponsors. Steve Wynn (billionaire casino owner & chairman and chief executive of Wynn Resorts, which operates luxury casinos from Las Vegas to China): Nevada gaming officials have opened an investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct. The Wall Street Journal published a report detailing an alleged pattern of behavior that spanned decades and included accusations by employees that they were coerced to perform sex acts.

Scott Baio: "Charles in Charge" actress Nicole Eggert, who has accused her former co-star Scott Baio of sexually abusing her as a minor, said she hid the alleged abuse for years to protect the legacy of the show. Eggert said that the first incident took place when she was 14." We were at his house, in his car, in his garage and he reached over and penetrated me with his finger, and that’s when sexual touching and abuse started after that," she said.

Michael Douglas: Author and journalist Susan Braudy claims the actor harassed her while she worked at his production company, Stonebridge Productions. Braudy told The Hollywood Reporter Douglas made sexually charged comments and masturbated in front of her during a private script meeting. Last month, Douglas gave a preemptive interview denying ever harassing any employees after THR contacted him about the story.

David Blaine (street magician): In a piece published by The Daily Beast, model Natasha Prince claims the magician raped her in 2004 shortly after her 21st birthday. Prince reported the incident to London police, and investigators contacted Blaine's lawyer, Marty Singer, to return to the United Kingdom for an interview, said the report. In a statement to The Daily Beast and ABC News, Blaine's attorney denied the allegations.

David Copperfield: The illusionist was accused by Brittney Lewis of drugging and sexually assaulting her when she was 17. Lewis told The Wrap the incident happened after she competed in a modeling contest where Copperfield, then 32, was a judge. Before the story published, Copperfield released a statement saying he supports the Me Too movement but cautioned against rushing to judgment about false allegations.

PBS and CBS host Charlie Rose: Accused by several women of unwanted sexual advances, groping and grabbing women, walking naked in front of them or making lewd phone calls. He has apologized for his behavior, but has questioned the accuracy of some of the accounts.

NBC "Today" show anchor Matt Lauer: Accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. He was fired and was not immediately available for comment.

Garrison Keillor, former host of "A Prairie Home Companion": Says he has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio over allegations of what the network called improper behavior.

Former President George H.W. Bush: Accused of patting seven women below the waist while posing for photos with them in recent years, well after he left office. The 93-year-old Republican has issued repeated apologies through a spokesman "to anyone he has offended," with the spokesman noting that the former president uses a wheelchair and that his arm sinks below people's waists when they take photos with him.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.): Accused of sexual harassment toward staffers in his office, and has settled one claim of harassment. He has denied the allegations, even the one he settled.

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon: Accused of inappropriate advances on two women, the Conservative resigned. Sexual harassment and assault allegations have also emerged against a number of other U.K. political figures. Labour Party legislator Carl Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life after harassment allegations cost him his post as the Welsh government's Cabinet secretary for communities and children. He had asked for an independent inquiry to clear his name.

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.): Accused of forcibly kissing Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden while rehearsing for a 2006 USO tour; Franken also was photographed with his hands over her breasts as she slept. He also has been accused by 3 other women of touching their buttocks. Franken has apologized, though hasn't admitted to groping or other inappropriate touching. He has acknowledged that some women felt that he had done something offensive during their encounters. He faces a Senate ethics investigation for improper conduct.

U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore (R.-Ala.): Accused of sexually assaulting two women decades ago when they were teenagers; about a half-dozen other women have accused Moore of inappropriate conduct. The former state Supreme Court chief justice denies the allegations. He has rebuffed pressure from national Republican leaders to step aside; the state GOP is standing by him. The Washington Post reported that Moore allegedly forced a 14-year-old girl into a sexual encounter in 1979 when he was 32. He lost his Senate run in a special election.

John Conyers: Facing a rising chorus of voices demanding he step down because of sexual harassment claims, Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., retired on Dec. 5 from the seat he has held for more than five decades, a swift and crushing fall from grace for a civil rights icon and the longest-serving active member of Congress. Conyers has been accused of sexual harassment toward staffers in his office and has settled at least one claim. He has denied the allegations, even the one he settled. Conyers said, "They're not accurate, they're not true and they're something I can't explain where they came from."

Former Eagles QB Donovan McNabb: Is mentioned in a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment at the NFL Network. According to the complaint, via the Bloomberg report, McNabb texted a former NFL Network stylist explicit comments.

Nelly: The rapper has been sued by a woman claiming he sexually assaulted her on his tour bus and later damaged her reputation by refuting her account. Nelly's attorney says the lawsuit is financially motivated and a countersuit is planned.

Bryan Singer: A lawsuit filed in Washington state claims the director behind the X-Men films sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy. In a statement to Variety, Singer denies the allegations. The lawsuit landed the same week Singer was fired from directing the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

Sylvester Stallone: The actor-director whose Rocky franchise saw a rebirth with 2015's Creed, is facing reports of sexual assault from the late 80s. An old police report detailed by the Daily Mail and the Baltimore Post-Examiner website indicates an unnamed teen, then 16, consented to sex with Stallone in Las Vegas in 1986. But she told police she did not consent to group sex after Stallone invited his bodyguard to join them. She said she felt intimidated into having sex with both of them. Under Nevada law, the age of consent is 16. “This is a ridiculous, categorically false story," his rep, Michelle Bega, told USA TODAY. Meanwhile, a second woman has stepped forward, reportedly filing a police report last month in Santa Monica, Calif.

Geraldo Rivera: Bette Midler took to social media to post an old interview with Barbara Walters where she told a story about how Rivera groped her when they first met.

Gene Simmons: The Kiss guitarist is accused of groping and making unwanted advances toward a radio personality in November 2017. A woman filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming that Simmons grabbed her hand and "forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee" before she removed it.

UPDATE: Ryan Seacrest: He was accused by his personal stylist, Suzie Hardy, of sexual abuse & harassment for years. The TV personality was first accused of misconduct in November 2017 by an anonymous former E! wardrobe stylist. However, E! didn't find enough evidence to support the accusation.

Brendan Fraser said he was sexually assaulted by the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the organization that hosts the Golden Globes), Philip Berk. Tom Brokaw: The veteran journalist and former host of the NBC Nightly News faces claims from a pair of ex-co-workers, both from incidents that allegedly took place in the 1990s. First, per The Washington Post, comes a detailed account from Linda Vester. More details here: https://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2018/04/tom-brokaw-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-by-former-nbc-staffers/

Sources: 1. Press, A. (2018). The list: Celebrities accused of sexual misconduct. themorningcall.com. Retrieved 3 February 2018, from http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc-harvey-weinstein-impact-list-of-men-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-20171129-story.html

2. Here's a growing list of men accused of sexual misconduct since Weinstein. (2018). NBC News. Retrieved 3 February 2018, from https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sexual-misconduct/weinstein-here-s-growing-list-men-accused-sexual-misconduct-n816546

3. After Weinstein: More than 100 high-powered men accused of sexual misconduct. (2018). USA TODAY. Retrieved 3 February 2018, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/11/22/weinstein-aftermath-all-men-accused-sexual-misconduct/884778001/

4. Yes Mom, There is Something Wrong – Anthony Edwards – Medium. (2017). Medium. Retrieved 3 February 2018, from https://medium.com/@anthonyedwards/yes-mom-there-is-something-wrong-f2bcf56434b9

5. Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations. (2018). En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 3 February 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby_sexual_assault_allegations

6. Wright, S. (2017). Forget What You Thought You Knew About Bill O'Reilly's Sexual Harassment Lawsuits. RedState. Retrieved 3 February 2018, from https://www.redstate.com/sweetie15/2017/10/21/forget-thought-knew-bill-oreillys-sexual-harassment-lawsuits/

7. Holloway, D., & Holloway, D. (2018). Ryan Seacrest’s E! Stylist Reveals Abuse and Harassment Allegations (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. Retrieved 2 March 2018, from http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/ryan-seacrest-sexual-abuse-allegations-stylist-details-1202710460/#article-comments