The one-two punch of The New York Times' Oct. 5 Harvey Weinstein exposé and Ronan Farrow's New Yorker feature five days later not only reverberated around the world and in Hollywood but also roiled hundreds of women who have experienced sexual harassment or assault by industry predators.
The shock of well-known actresses — be they A-list or activist, from Ashley Judd to Rose McGowan to Mira Sorvino — publicly revealing their pain and shame was eclipsed only by the staggering number of accounts: #MeToo narratives swamped Twitter, uncovering a societal ill on the order of a pandemic. But as other heads rolled in the wake of Weinstein's, the first wave of his accusers already were moving forward to heal through solidarity and create actionable solutions. Meetings of minds led by insiders from Kathleen Kennedy to Eve Ensler started pointing the way to real change. Yet it all started with speaking out.
"As harrowing as it was to use my own name," says Sorvino, who reveals the aftermath of her coming forward here, "once it went to print, I felt an enormous peace wash over me, that I had the courage to tell the truth about a beast and, in so doing, end his dominion of intimidation that had lasted over two decades. I'm glad I did it."
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A version of this story first appeared in the 2017 Women in Entertainment Power 100 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
