Alyssa Milano's #MeToo hashtag proves shocking number of women have been sexually harassed and assaulted
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, a new viral social media hashtag is aiming to give a voice to women who have survived sexual assault and harrassment.
The hashtag “Me too,” which is currently trending on Twitter and Instagram, was started by former Charmed actress Alyssa Milano. The 44-year-old issued a call to arms on social media, urging women to speak up about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault. She asked women to reply to her tweet and Instagram post by replying “Me too.” Alternatively, women could post the same response on Facebook.
“If all the women who have ever been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too.’ as a status, then we give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem,” she wrote, explaining she got the idea from a friend.
Since her post, the hashtag has quickly gone viral, with up to four women a second taking to Twitter and Instagram to respond.
So far the tweet has received over 31K comments, while thousands of others have also updated their status on Facebook to “Me too.”
The movement has also generated responses from some celebrities, including Anna Paquin, Selma Blair, Debra Messing, and Anika Noni Rose.
Westworld actress Evan Rachel Wood added her voice to the cause as well.
“Being raped once made it easier to be raped again. I instinctually shut down. My body remembered, so it protected me. I disappeared. #metoo” she tweeted.
Actress Jaime King also used the hashtag to share her own experiences via Instagram. Sharing an image of the words “Me too,” she urged other women to come forward and speak out.
“If you have been a victim of sexual assault. Please reply and/or share on your platforms- me too,” she wrote in the accompanying caption.
“I have spoken openly about my experiences for years. It was not easy. Only when you are ready. By sharing we commune, we acknowledge, we see we are not alone, we stand up and we become the change through healing one another and affirmative action. The days of remaining in silence and fear need not be. Sexual, verbal, emotional and financial assault have been a consistent experience in my life. No more. I love you. I honor you. I respect you. With gratitude – Jaime #metoo”
A post shared by Jaime King (@jaime_king) on Oct 15, 2017 at 10:30pm PDT
Milano has previously spoken out against film producer Harvey Weinstein as women have come forward and made sexual assault allegations against him.
“While I am sickened and angered over the disturbing accusations of Weinstein’s sexual predation and abuse of power, I’m happy — ecstatic even — that it has opened up a dialogue around the continued sexual harassment, objectification, and degradation of women,” she said earlier.
It isn’t the first hashtag women have used since news of the Weinstein scandal broke. On Friday, #WomenBoycottTwitter was the top trend, with many women choosing to log off for 24 hours.
Milano was one of the first responders to the protest, which was started by her fellow Charmed alum Rose McGowan, who has spoken out about her own experiences at the hands of Weinstein.
The movement took place after McGowan was temporarily suspended from the platform.
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