Dustin Hoffman
, pictured at left with wife Lisa, is the latest name in the string of Hollywood men to be publicly accused of sexual harassment. He has apologized for his past behavior following a column published online Wednesday for The Hollywood Reporter.
The column, by Anna Graham Hunter, alleges that when she was 17 and working as an intern on the set of Death of a Salesman in 1985, Hoffman was “openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me.”
Hunter also quotes journal entries she wrote while on set to send to her sister and several entries talk about Hoffman touching her inappropriately and making lewd comments to her while she was trying to do her job. “I told him that I didn’t appreciate his wandering hands or his comments. He apologized and said he would stop,” Hunter writes.
In a statement, Hoffman said, “I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.”
Since the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, James Toback, Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner and others Hoffman is one of the few not “vehemently”denying allegations or blaming a lack of memory to try and erase blame. ~Hayley Michaud
While I AM glad to see people like Harvey Weinstein exposed for the creeps they are....I think this whole thing is getting out of hand. Seems like every man in tinseltown who looked sideways at a woman is being pilloried right now. Kevin Spacey is being absolutely crucified for ONE incident, probably when he was drunk and almost 30 years ago. NOT that it is right but, really....this is turning into a witch hunt and peoples' lives are being destroyed on the word of one person. Not right.
Nothing is getting out of hand. If 20 people are abused by 20 people, are the 10 that come forward last "out of hand?" It's only now that they feel safe in coming forward - their careers aren't on the line now. I hope every single person comes forward and that it cleans up Hollywood. No more going to hotel suites or rooms. Auditions/interviews only in offices or other areas where there are a lot of other people.
David. How do you know what is true or not??
et tu Dustin?.. Et Tu?? :( At least he's not denying it and apologizing.
I kind of agree a little bit with MA. It seems like everyone is jumping on this wagon. Now don't get me wrong some of them like Harvey and Radner deserve it, but seriously why is Dustin hoffman being brought into this? He hit on a girl at work (didn't force sex on her), she complained to him: “I told him that I didn’t appreciate his wandering hands or his comments. He apologized and said he would stop,†Hunter writes." He APOLOGIZED and said he would stop and obviously did. Should be case closed. I mean my god why are you bringing this up over 20 years later. You stood up to him, he stopped. If every person were to step forward and publicly announce every time a guy/woman hit on them in their lives the lists would go on forever. I'm sorry but this doesn't sound like one of those cases where she was forced into sex or raped and was too scared to do or say anything.
Heidi has nailed it.
There are a lot of nervous men out there right now. And rightfully so. What they thought they got away with may at any moment come out of the blue to bite them in the ass. There will be careers ruined! This is the cost of being more mindful that your lust effects others! If you have no self control, get help. Society will not condon your predation any longer. So this is the time of the Witch Hunt. So be it. May the predators be predated on....
I agree with Heidi. I also have to wonder if all of these "victims" joining the "get your name in the news 'cuz that shoud help your career" are telling the truth. Why did they wait so long instead of reporting it 20-30 years ago when it alledgedly happened?! Free publicity!!
The floodgates have been opened and it is a tidal wave.
You're absolutely right. G.d forbid women should be comfortable mentioning things that happened to them 20 years ago. Is it bandwagoning, or is it that people are FINALLY taking seriously the fact that many guys in male-dominated industries treat women like they exist for their entertainment, so women are finally free to discuss things that six months ago they'd have been told to keep quiet about it? The fact that SHE stood up to him and made him apologize is irrelevant. He did it to her, he may well have done it to 30 other women. Her statement tells other women "See, it wasn't just you."
The real surprise is how many of the people who were actually sexually assaulted never went to police to report it. By the same token very few people ever came forward at their workplace to file a complaint, cause there were no workplace policies and the victim was usually either stigmatized as a trouble maker, moved, or even fired to accomodate denials by higher ranking employees. Hush money has certainly been offered and paid by large corporations on behalf of their star employees like Bill O'reilly. Touching is something that all employees need to be made aware of.It is a wide-spread attitude that anyone can just come up to you and put their arm around you or tap your leg or bottom without making you uncomfortable. Wrong. While it is not assault, it is uncomfortable and crosses a line.Look at the response when the P.M. accidentally elbowed into another minister in the House of Commons.Its about time.
We need to concentrate on the victims and understand the context of the 60's and 70's when free love and drugs like mescalin, LSD and ...was a part of the social scene. How do we know what really happened and what the social context and how sexual socialization took place. I totally abhor abuse of any kind and believe that it should be addressed aggressively but how do we go back 30-60 years and do so? I had someone place their hand on my butt once in my workplace 40 years ago. I was taken really off guard as it was such an intimate action and embarrassed in front of my colleagues. In anger, I turned around and addressed it. "Take your hand off my butt and don't ever do that again". Then the person was embarrassed and started making excuses that others had liked it when he did that. When talking to my colleagues about it, they just said that's the way he is. Should I now almost 40 years after the fact go back and deal with it differently? Contact the others, put in a complaint?? Try to get some money from it in compensation? Go for the sensational headlines and get attention. You tell me, I'm interested in your thoughts.
Dustin your a great man. A man with morality. What we do over thirty years ago does not define us of who we are now. People have to let go of these thoughts that they think defines them. When what you may remembered all those years ago may not happened the way you remembered. Please forgive and let go and let GOD take care of it. We need to move on for greater more happier days. This is what is going to change the world not dwelling on past experiences. Not pointing figures and most definitely not playing the victim! Peace and Love to you all! :-)
Glad he is responding and yes seems to be getting a little out of hand but if these people feel as though they were sexually harrassed then ok. MA there is one thing I would like to point out about kevin spacey, it was not a single case, 10 more people have come forward and it was not hitting on it was sexually assaulting a 14 year old boy. Time is not a factor and please do not make excuses for a grown ass made assaulting a child, doesn't matter if he had been drinking or not
Love Kevin Spacey, Love Bill Cosby, Love President Trump but these 'old boys' are trying to keep alive views that died in the 50's. They use their perceived power and influence to attack. Even Tiger Woods got it handed to him and rightfully so. Sadly in the Country Club there are still a few that say, what is the big deal, don"t over react, it was harmless, she liked it, she had it coming. Just ask yourself if it was your daughter being fondled by a monster how you would react. There are a lot of Fathers that will be very proud of their Daughters bringing things to light and a lot of Fathers wanting to Bobbitt these little pricks!
Seems awfully funny that these BIMBOS report it after years,i do not believe any of it
If any of you really think that 'this is getting out of hand', well maybe the owners of those hands should have gotten their hands of those kids and young ladies. They never once thought that someday there may well be the will and condemnation to do something about them. If you destroyed someone's life thirty years ago that does not make you a great man (Joel). Bimbos and actresses trying to make a name, this is just the same enabling diatribe that has to leave our new reality. Good ridence!
Since time began working in close proximity with people leads to sex how many marriages have broken down through parties. How many relationships have started at work and ended in divorce how many passionate brief flings happen. That's nature its humans expression and the forbidden fruits. A woman by nature seeks the stronger partner to settle down with to have a family and it never matters at the time.I believe it happens again and again.To the same people..strength in a relationship is rare now relationships are like a take away eventually you want to taste something new at a massive cost to the kids and broken homes all over the world. How many woman want to be a wag to marry wealthy people for the trappings most I would say.There's a real beauty in sticking it out for life I admire successful relationships.the people are better off by far ..Just my opinion.men are sad kids the grass is actually not that greener over there in the long run.In sickness and in health richer or poorer.Awesome.
Joel,Joel,Joel! Did you realize it is called' forbidden for a reason. Sure the testosterone may be ' strong in this one'. But we live in a civilization and one should always control carnal desire otherwise, well, it's a free for all. Funny to see our society spinning towards the new values. That moola does keep your kids from amphetamines and ruins most relationships due to 60 hr work weeks.Find a good man or woman whose head is screwed on straight, whose eyes do not wander deflect all those lustfull advances. Hollywood has since its inception been known for Privelidge and the casting couch and parties were oh so convenient for these married men that thought their money, power and connectivity made them Alpha Males. I say, expose these worms for the losers they really are.
Much respect to Dustin for not denying his wrongdoings and taking his upcomings with class. However, anyone who thinks the description of what happened are 'hit on' actions are morons. This is sexual assault. When you put your hands on a persons body in an inappropriate way and especially while making lewd comments it is SEXUAL ASSAULT. I can only speculate that Heidi is one of the fortunate few who have not had to learn first hand that "no" and "not interested" are negotiable terms to some men. These fools who think to say it a dozen different clever ways cause the ditz just cant figure out what he really means. Maybe she'll realize if I touch her this way too. Point being Heidi, she never should have been put in the position to put her foot down with him that way at all with his "wandering hands". Words are words but he felt entitled to put his hands on her. A creep move. He deserves to be outed, even 20 years later. They all do. Keep the flood gates open, drown them so bad others will be afraid to act this way in the future.
These stories are turning so ridicolous.... One thing is raping, using violence or even extortion, one another is propositioning, always letting the counterpart the freedom to say no, which is simply HUMAN. Hoffman is at best guolty of having been inappropriate and goofy, but these are not sex crimes. Sexual harassement is a serious thing, but these kinds of stories are banalizing it and turning it into a joke and a witch hunt.
Salem witches were HUNG for much less. As history tells it, in Salem there was hysteria and false truths. Here we are centuries later, and although there may be a feeling of hysteria and false truths with so many accusations, women do have rights, children most certainly have rights and an apology may be nice but does not mean the act WAS or will ever be acceptable in our society. People who act above the law need to be taken off their high horse, for the next generation and generations to come.
LEANN: You speculate wrong. Just because I post my comment above in a certain favour does in no way mean I have been "fortunate" or live under a rock. I would be accusing all day if I were to go back to every party where some one has had to much to drink and grabbed me or said indecent things, every bar I went to where some one tried to put hand on my ass and pull me too close while dancing. Had some one at work think they are making a joke of a sexual nature to me. Went to a fair and had some one grab my breast ass they walked by. Walked by a construction site and had worker whistle and say crude things. Every date where the guy wanted to advance too far. Had a stranger follow me to my door off the bus and grab my ass as I was going in.(that one is the only one, where yeah, that is one sick rapey individual and I'm glad I got through my door quick enough, Unfortunately he got away and was never caught) The list goes on...So DO NOT assume anything. Point is, in life things happen. There are people who really do wrong and should be punished and others who made a mistake and were corrected. I think there is a fine line between assault and harassment. I also feel that if every one were to look back in their life unless they lived under a rock they has been at least something. It seems like though the difference between a regular joe blow that your friends with, work with or date is that they are a nobody and most of the time you tell them off and move on with your life if it never happens again. But it seems if you are a celebrity then even though it happened only once and it was a minor incident (not rape or something forceful) but like a comment or a touch they feel oh I'm going to go after them 20 years later. Yet are they going after all the other men in their past 20 years later. probably not.
I think what is happening needs to happen. If men ,at this time,feel a need to made a sincere apology for something they have done. Good on them. It shows that maybe things are changing and attitudes are changing . If however damage was done then just a quick "I'm sorry" won't cut it . People need to be held responsible for their actions. They know who they are. Now we need to know who they are so others know we are watching now. Some will be get a pat on the back , some will be forgiven and some will get their butt put to the fire.
Hey Heidi, in your account with experiences of grabbing, touching etc you have putting up with a lot of abuse . I take it you did not like it . I know I didn't . My hope is, that with these public figures and movies personalities coming forward or being dragged forward, an important message will get out there to those old offenders and new up and coming offenders that this behavior is not acceptable any more and we as women (or men) will not put up with it . I know it may seem mean to point at all these wonderful actors but they are public personalities and as such hold a lot of power for good and change . People are talking which is good. Change is coming.
Belinda: very true - "touching is something all employees need to be made aware of". I've got one more, though - "trying, convicting and executing a person in the press is something all Americans need to stop doing". Salem witch trials, Joe McCarthy - do you people never learn???? KA: your "He did it to her, he may well have done it to 30 other women" is complete garbage. “I have here in my hand a list of 205 [State Department employees] that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department.â€