Hi, Kate Winslet.
Do you mind if I ask you what the hell is going on? I’m sure you’re busy, but this won’t take long. It’s just, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandals, I saw something alarming, to put it mildly. Did you really condemn serial abuser Harvey Weinstein while on a press tour for a movie you made with a known child molester? Not a cute look for you. Or anyone for that matter — I’m looking at you, Scarlett Johansson, Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Kristen Stewart, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson, Cate Blanchett, Miley Cyrus, and you, DIANE (btw, if I included any men on that list it would be a hundred pages long, and anyway, we all already know who Louis C.K. is, right?).
I’m here to tell you that your unwillingness to acknowledge the trauma these women have experienced has violent consequences. This isn’t something you can ignore, and it’s not an isolated incident. It came out this past Monday that Allen’s new film will prominently feature a sexual relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and a forty-four-year-old man. When asked if Allen’s history of sexual assault allegations impacted your decision to work with him, you shifted the blame. To say that this is a “difficult discussion” is a gross understatement, and your refusal to even discuss these allegations speaks volumes. This makes you complicit. Sure, I expected this from Justin Timberlake, but come on Kate. Though I guess maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. You have already publicly supported Roman Polanski, the only man that could rival Allen in the disgusting-o-meter.
But there’s hope for you yet, Kate. You’ve done so many amazing things for women already — from speaking out against the wage gap, to advocating body positivity, and fighting to destigmatize autism — I hope you decide to listen. However, I’m expecting that you won’t, so I want to put out a call for the rest of you. Don’t be a Woody Allen apologist. We’re better than this. Ladies, stop working with him! Don’t watch his movies! Edge that bitch out of Hollywood like he should have been thirty years ago. By refusing to consume content created by abusers, we send a message that says we are not willing to overlook sexual violence in favor of “artistic talent” (if you call making the same movie over and over for forty years “talent”). If you’ve forgotten the allegations, I suggest you read up. Don’t desensitize yourself to this. Kate, I forgave you for Movie 43, but I don’t think I can forgive you for this.
With dread,
Franki Gambino
Top photo: still of Kate Winslet in Woody Allen’s latest film, “Wonder Wheel”
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