Ellen Pompeo: Grey’s Anatomy star criticised for ‘victim shaming’ Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault accusers in resurfaced video
‘I truly do wonder what’s going on inside of her brain,' one outraged tweeter wrote
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ellen Pompeo is being criticised after remarks she made about Harvey Weinstein and the women he sexually assaulted resurfaced online.
A video, in which the Grey’s Anatomy actor speaks at an Oxford Union Q&A in 2018, sees Pompeo tell an interviewer that she believes women “bear some responsibility” as ”it takes two to tango”.
“That’s not to blame the victim,” she said, adding: “That’s just to say... I did go into a room with Harvey Weinstein, I sat at a table with him, I had a probably two and a half hours with him. He never said anything inappropriate to me. He never made any sort of physical advance to me.”
Pompeo continued: ”I wasn’t in the room alone with him. I had been sent there by an agent in the middle of the daytime. I didn’t think there was anything wrong. I wouldn’t have gone into that room at night. But he did nothing inappropriate towards me. Now had he, I would have picked up that glass and smashed him across the side of the face with it.
“So I mean, it’s all what we’re willing to tolerate in our self-esteem, and what are we going to put up with, and what are we going to compromise to be liked, to be loved, to be accepted? How bad do we want to be in show business?”
One Twitter user branded her comments “disgusting”, with another writing: “Ellen Pompeo is victim blaming through this entire video & is acting like it’s the victim’s fault & as if the victim wanted it.”
Another wrote: “I truly do wonder what’s going on inside of Ellen Pompeo’s brain. Who told her saying s**t like this was OK?
“That’s so disgusting. As a sexual assault survivor, I am absolutely appalled,” one concluded.
The Independent has contacted a representative of Pompeo for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments