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"I started walking the long way": many young women first experience street harassment in their school uniforms

Can you remember the first time you were harassed in a public space? What comes to mind? Can you remember how old you were, or what you were doing? Perhaps this is not something you have personally experienced, although we know <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/everyday-sexism/">87% of young Australian women</a> have been harassed in public. We spoke to 47 adult women and LGBTQ+ people in <a href="https://www.streetharassmentjustice.com/">our recent study</a> on street-based and public harassment about their earliest memories of feeling sexualised, uncomfortable or unsafe on the street. Many mentioned they first experienced street harassment in their school uniforms. We heard variations of the phrase “it happened when I was in my school uniform” repeatedly from participants. For many, <a href="https://theconversation.com/whistling-and-staring-at-women-in-the-street-is-harassment-and-its-got-to-stop-38721">street harassment</a> began or became more frequent when they started wearing a high school uniform. Some participants, however, reflected on experiences from when they were even younger, wearing a primary school uniform. Studies from the United Kingdom have shown <a href="https://plan-uk.org/street-harassment/its-not-ok">35% of girls</a> wearing school uniforms have been sexually harassed in public spaces. Despite the importance of schools in the daily lives of young people, and the high rates of street harassment they experience, there’s been surprisingly little attention paid to the harassment of young people in school uniform. Findings from our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2023.2193206">new research</a> show school-related harassment is a serious issue that has largely flown under the radar in Australia. <h2>It happens beyond the school gates</h2> We know young people experience <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:55181/">sexual</a>, <a href="https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN%202015%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20%28NSCS%29%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf">homophobic and transphobic</a>harassment from their peers and even teachers while they’re at school. But participants also told us about harassment occurring outside their school grounds. This was perpetrated by strangers (usually individual adult men, or groups of adult men), while they were in uniform and, therefore, clearly identifiable as school children. This took many forms, ranging from catcalling, staring or leering, wolf-whistling, and being followed by men in cars while walking to school, through to public masturbation and men rubbing themselves against victim-survivors (usually while travelling to school on public transport), sexual assault and rape. As one interviewee told us, "walking from high school to home […] that’s where most of the harassment I’ve experienced happened […] As soon as I stopped wearing a school uniform it happened less. So that’s disgusting for a lot of reasons." As another interviewee shared, these experiences were really scary not just because of what was happening at that moment but because the perpetrator “knows which school you go to” because of the uniform worn. <h2>The ‘sexy schoolgirl’</h2> Why is it that young people – and particularly young women and girls – are so routinely harassed in school uniform? We found harassment of schoolgirls was seen as being culturally sanctioned through the “sexy schoolgirl” trope. As one interviewee noted, "when you go on Google images and search for ‘school boy’ it will come up with a five-year-old boy but then ‘school girl’ it will come up with the sexy school girl costume." Participants discussed being targeted because they were viewed as vulnerable and (paradoxically) as both sexually innocent and sexualised, "that was part of the allure for them [the perpetrators], the innocence of a schoolgirl, a fearful schoolgirl in that situation, was like hot to them, they were really getting off on it." Another interviewee told us, "I went from being an innocent child to a child that felt uncomfortable and didn’t know why I was sexualised – and I didn’t understand it because I didn’t understand what sex really was." Because they were so young, many participants often lacked a framework or language to understand their experiences. For many, these experiences were also so routine they simply formed part of the background hum of everyday life. It was often not until years after these formative experiences that participants were able to articulate them as sexual harm and reflect on the impacts. <h2>Trying to avoid harassment</h2> Across our interviews, many participants discussed changing the way they presented themselves or changing the routes they took to school. They often focused on changing their own behaviour and <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-right-amount-of-panic">made their lives smaller</a> in an attempt to avoid further harassment. For example, "I started walking the long way. I started just going through the main roads, avoiding the back streets, even though it was a longer walk to be extra safe." In the longer-term, participants commonly described feeling unsafe, hyper-vigilant, and distrustful of men in public spaces. <h2>‘What if there’s a paedophile on the tram?’: school responses</h2> Unfortunately, the view that victim-survivors are responsible for their own harassment was often reinforced by schools if harassment was reported. Numerous participants told us how they were reminded of school uniform policies (such as mandated length of skirts and dresses) when they went to teachers for help. One participant recounted an experience where her teacher asked, "Why would you wear your skirt like this [short]? Whose attention are you trying to get? […] what if there’s a paedophile when you’re on the tram home from school […] thinking ‘this is the best day of [my] life’." Others did not seek help from their teachers because of this focus on students’ appearance at school – they felt they would simply be blamed for what happened. These types of responses teach young people to think street harassment and other forms of gendered violence are their fault. It also tells them their bodies are sites of risk that need to be managed and contained to avoid harassment. <h2>School uniform harassment is not ‘normal’</h2> While schools and school-related contexts were often sites of harm for our participants, schools nonetheless have a vitally important role to play here. Harassment in school uniform should not be seen as a “normal” part of growing up. There is an urgent need to provide young people with a framework to understand their experiences. Educational efforts must challenge the idea that harassment must simply be endured. Instead, schools should help young people understand harassment as a form of violence, and offer safe and supportive spaces to talk with peers and adults about their experiences. This should be incorporated into existing sex and relationships education <a href="https://www.bodysafetyaustralia.com.au/">in an age-appropriate way</a>. Importantly, responses to harassment should never blame or implicate young people themselves. It’s time for outdated practices such as measuring school uniform length to be relegated to the past where they belong. In the words of one participant, “the length of my skirt is not influencing how much I learn”. If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au/">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800 or <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/">1800RESPECT</a> on 1800 737 732. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-started-walking-the-long-way-many-young-women-first-experience-street-harassment-in-their-school-uniforms-202718" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Caring

20 years of tracking sexual harassment at work shows little improvement. But that could be about to change

The fifth national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces shows little has changed since the last survey in 2018 – or indeed since the first survey in 2003. It points to the importance of the legislative changes being pursued by the Albanese government, including reforms that passed parliament on Monday. The <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/time-for-respect-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey of 10,000 Australians</a> was commissioned by the Australian Human Rights Commission and conducted by Roy Morgan Research in August and September. It shows 33% of workers were sexually harassed at work in the previous five years – 41% of women and 26% of men. This compares with 39% of women and 26% of men <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/AHRC_WORKPLACE_SH_2018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2018</a>, and with 15% of women and 6% of men <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sexual-harassment-workplace-key-findings-overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2003</a> (though these results cannot be easily compared with the latest figures due to changes in survey methodology). The most common form of sexually harassment were: <ul> <li>comments or jokes (40% of women, 14% of men)</li> <li>intrusive questions about one’s private life or appearance (32% of women, 14% of men)</li> <li>inappropriate staring (30% of women, 8% of men)</li> <li>unwelcome touching, hugging, cornering or kissing (28% of women, 10% of men)</li> <li>inappropriate physical contact (26% of women, 11% of men).</li> </ul> Men were responsible for 91% of harassment of women, and 55% of harassment of men. Most of those harassed said their harasser also sexually harassed another employee. Just 18% formally reported the harassment. Of those, only 28% said the harassment stopped as a result, while 24% said their harasser faced no consequences. <h2>Slow work on reforms</h2> These results highlight the importance of the reforms now being made by the Albanese government, implementing the recommendations of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2020 <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/publications/respectwork-sexual-harassment-national-inquiry-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Respect@Work</a> report. That report made 55 recommendations. The Morrison government acted on just a handful. It amended <a href="https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us-legislation-fair-work-system/respect-work-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Fair Work Act</a> to enable individuals to apply to the Fair Work Commission for a “stop sexual harassment” order, and to make it clear sexual harassment is grounds for dismissal. But it ignored the key recommendation: placing a positive duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment, requiring them to treat harassment like other work health and safety issues. This was needed, the report argued, because treating sexual harassment as being about aberrant individuals led to a workplace focus on individual complaints. It did little to change structural drivers of such behaviour. <h2>Albanese government commitments</h2> On Monday, the Albanese government finally made this pivotal reform, when parliament <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/media-releases/passage-respectwork-bill-major-step-preventing-harassment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed its Respect@Work bill</a>. It is now no longer enough for employers to have a policy and act on complaints. They must also take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation. The government has committed to implementing all 55 recommendations. The Respect@Work bill implements seven. Others should be achieved with the omnibus industrial relations bill now before the Senate. Improving the conditions and bargaining power of those in insecure and low-paid work, and reducing gender inequalities, should lessen the vulnerabilities that enable harassment to flourish. <h2>Ratifying the ILO convention</h2> Last week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/address-international-trade-union-confederation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">committed</a> to ratifying the International Labor Organisation’s convention on <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/violence-harassment/lang--en/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work</a>. So far, <a href="https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:11300:0::NO:11300:P11300_INSTRUMENT_ID:3999810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">22 nations</a> have ratified the treaty. Ratification will oblige Australia to align its laws and regulations with the treaty’s provisions. This is significant not just because the convention is the first international treaty to enshrine the right to work free from violence and harassment as its focus. It also breaks with the historical framing of sexual harassment as an individual interpersonal conflict. The convention calls for an integrated approach to eliminating workplace violence and harassment. In Australia’s case, this will require developing approaches that break down the policy and regulatory fences between anti-discrimination measures, and those covering workplace rights and work health and safety. This could prove challenging – with sexual harassment being only one form of gender-based violence. But implementing all 55 recommendations of the Respect@Work report is a good start. Hopefully the sixth national workplace survey will have a better story to tell. This story originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/20-years-of-tracking-sexual-harassment-at-work-shows-little-improvement-but-that-could-be-about-to-change-195554" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Legal

Pauline Hanson to pay hefty price for defamation

Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault and harassment. Pauline Hanson has been ordered to pay $250,000 in damages to former One Nation senator Brian Burston after she falsely claimed he sexually abused a female staffer in his parliamentary office. The One Nation leader was ordered to pay the penalties by Justice Robert Bromwich on Wednesday for claims she made on the Nine Network. Along with accusations of sexual abuse, Hanson also claimed Burston had assaulted One Nation chief of staff James Ashby without provocation in the Great Hall of Parliament, which Justice said were both “seriously damaging” to Burston’s reputation. "I find that both (imputations) were seriously damaging to Mr Burston's reputation, being broadcast on a nationally broadcast television program watched by over 290,000 people at the time," Justice Bromwich said. “They were both false.” However, Burston failed to prove a number of other claims were defamatory, including imputations that he sexually harassed staff in his office, including a female staffer, and that he brought the senate into disrepute due to his behaviour towards staff. Justice Bromwich described Burston’s behaviour as “objectively wrong and inappropriate” and said he hadn’t “kept up with changes in society” in relation to women’s rights. "Mr Burston had apparently not kept up with changes in society in relation to the rights of women, with the tide having turned even more decisively in recent years, most particularly in relation to the conduct of and around elected representatives and their staff," he wrote. Burston launched the defamation suit in June 2020 over what he said were false claims of sexual harassment made on social media, television, and via text that painted him as a sexual harrasser. He has repeatedly denied the allegations of misconduct. Hanson filed a counter suit in November 2020, claiming Burston’s case and allegations made against her of sexual harassment amounted to sexual discrimination. During a seven-day hearing in June, the court heard from two of Burston’s colleagues who gave evidence of alleged harassment. Terri-Lea Vairy said Burston had regularly degraded, humiliated and disgusted her with acts of sexual harassment, including shoving $100 between her breasts. Fellow employee Wendy Leach said she was unfairly dismissed after telling Burston to stop his infatuation with Ms Vairy, and spoke of an incident where Burston allegedly offered her “a good f**k”. "I am in no doubt that Ms Vairy suffered continued harassment from Mr Burston during her employment, predominantly of a sexual nature. Nor am I in any doubt that Mr Burston sexually propositioned Ms Leach," Justice Bromwich wrote. The court also heard that Burston smeared blood from his hand on Hanson’s door “like some hex”. Burston left One Nation to join the United Australia Party in June 2018 after a fall-out with colleagues over his stance on proposed tax cuts from then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. In the 2019 federal election, Burston failed to keep his seat. Images: Facebook

Legal

"Sad, old menacing coward:" Grace Tame reports childhood abuser to police

Activist Grace Tame has revealed she continues to be harassed by the man who abused her as a child, having reported him to the police for “targeted harassment” online. Ms Tame was 15 when she was groomed and raped by her maths teacher Nicolaas Bester, who then bragged about his crimes online while she was unable to speak out due to Tasmania’s “gag law”. Her legal fight to change the laws, which prevent sexual abuse victims from publicly identifying themselves, as part of the #LetHerSpeak campaign, saw Ms Tame pushed into the public eye and recognised for her efforts when she was named the Australian of the Year. But, on Wednesday the 23-year-old said she was “still dealing with open threats and harassment from the man who abused me and others”. “This has been my reality for 12 years now, behind closed doors for my family and me,” she wrote on Twitter. She also shared screenshots of tweets appearing to be from Bester, where her childhood email is referenced and he threatens that “he is coming to show all too (sic) you”. In one message dated April 27, Bester uses her email address and writes, “at last I shall come for [email address]..... in good time…..”. In another, posted on August 28, he uses her email address again, writing that “the good old comeuppance on its way” with “only 4 weeks to go!!”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> This has been the reality for 12 years now, behind closed doors for my family and me. Mark my words, I am not going anywhere though. — Grace Tame (@TamePunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1564185208882352128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote> “Here he is, the twice-convicted child sex offender, referring to my childhood email, which very few people know, in place of my name. It was the login to my old Facebook he and I communicated on,” Ms Tame wrote. “He’s counting down to an act of revenge, planned for the day of my book’s release.” She alleged that his repeated comments constituted a federal offence and contravened <a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/sexual-exploitation-policy">Twitter’s child exploitation policy</a>, which says that content that further contributes to the victimisation of children “through the promotion or glorification of child sexual exploitation” is also prohibited. “This is targeted harassment of a known victim of his past crimes, designed to cause further harm,” Ms Tame said. “I’ve reported them to police, but our reactive justice system is too slow, and nothing’s changed.” Bester was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for maintaining a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 17 and possession of child exploitation material, but only served one year and nine months before he was released. He has been free to speak about his abuse of Ms Tame for some time and has previously taken to social media to brag to his followers. “The majority of men in Australia envy me,” he wrote. “I was 59, she was 15 going on 25. It was awesome.” Bester’s account has since been suspended by Twitter. Ms Tame said her tweets were an act of reclaiming power “against a predator operating in plain sight”. “This man seems to think he is still relevant and can maintain control over me,” she wrote. “This man who groomed and abused me when I was a child. “I’m not ashamed of any of it now. “But he should be. He was an adult who abused his authority. “Just because I have found the anger and strength in me now, does it make me an aggressor, or a survivor? "I know who I am. I am a survivor. "I have the power to be vulnerable. He will never have that. He is too afraid, and too weak. He is too weak to be vulnerable. Instead, he exploits others who are. He knows no other way to be. I see that now. And because of that, he doesn't scare me anymore.” Ms Tame added that her posts were “not for the critics” and were instead for survivors like her. "He is a sad, old menacing coward. “This is not for the critics. They will say what they always say. This is for the people like me. And you know who you are too. “I stand with you. We have the power.” If you or someone you know needs support as a result of sexual assault or child sexual abuse, contact the Blue Knot Helpline and Redress Support Service on 1300 657 380, or LifeLine on 13 11 14 for immediate support. Image: Getty Images

Legal

"He was harassed": Woman tells how son took his life over incorrect Robodebt bill

Jenny Miller has shared the heart-breaking story of how her son Rhys was driven to suicide after relentless "harassment" to pay back a $28,000 Centrelink bill that was dished out under the Robodebt scheme. Rhys Cauzzo, a florist from Melbourne, was just 27-years-old when he took his life on Australia Day in 2017 after he was wrongly billed for the debts he didn't owe. Rhys was just one of over 2,000 Australians who died after received a hefty debt notice under the controversial scheme, which raised over $1billion in debts against 443,000 Australians. Speaking with Nat Barr on Sunrise, Jenny shared the devastating moment she was informed of her son's death. "The police came to our place on the Sunshine Coast early in the morning to tell us that he had passed," she said on Friday. "I arranged to fly down immediately and I found obvious signs of him being under the stress financially." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The families of Robodebt victims are hopeful a royal commission will deliver justice after the scheme unlawfully claimed almost $2 billion in payments from Aussies. Jenny Miller's son Rhys took his own life after he was incorrectly told he owed Centrelink $28,000. <a href="https://t.co/eQ9bkj8RAm">pic.twitter.com/eQ9bkj8RAm</a> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1562921013217996801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote> "There were pictures of him holding a gun to his head and dollar signs coming out of his brain." Ms Miller said before her son took his own life he "got virtually daily" letters and phone calls from debt collectors Dun & Bradstreet. "He was harassed, he was not given the opportunity to speak to anyone at Centrelink," she said. "They just said ''no, you have to sort out.'" "It was the icing on the cake for him." Jenny went on to thank both Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese for sticking to Labor's election promise to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/pm-launches-probe-into-unlawful-robodebt-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launch a royal commission</a> into the "unlawful" scheme, which was announced earlier this week. "Obviously, we are still hoping to get some accountability. I have been fighting this for nearly six years and it is time that there was some answers," she said. During the election campaign, the Prime Minister described the Robodebt scheme as a “human tragedy, wrought by (the Coalition) government." “Against all evidence, and all the outcry, the government insisted on using algorithms instead of people to pursue debt recovery against Australians who in many cases had no debt to pay,” Albanese said. Image credits: Sunrise

News

"Truth prevails”: Ricky Martin addresses nephew after harassment case heard

Ricky Martin’s 21-year-old nephew’s protection order against the popular singer has been dismissed following bombshell incest allegations. Attorneys for Martin, aged 50, have reported that the court in Puerto Rico did not extend Dennis Yadiel Sanchez’s temporary protection order just as they had anticipated. “The accuser confirmed to the court that his decision to dismiss the matter was his alone, without any outside influence or pressure, and the accuser confirmed he was satisfied with his legal representation in the matter,” lawyers Joaquín Monserrate Matienzo, Carmelo Dávila and Harry Massanet Pastrana said in a joint statement. “The request came from the accuser asking to dismiss the case. This was never anything more than a troubled individual making false allegations with absolutely nothing to substantiate them.” The attorneys concluded: “We are glad that our client saw justice done and can now move forward with his life and his career.” Martin also released a statement himself, via a two-minute video. In the video he explained his earlier silence and spoke directly to his nephew, saying he hopes he “doesn’t hurt anybody else.” “I’m in front of the cameras today because I really need to talk in order for me to start my healing process,” Martin said. “For two weeks, I was not allowed to defend myself because I was following a procedure where the law - the law - obligated me not to talk until I was in front of the judge and got this claims were proven to be false.” “But I’m going to tell you the truth. It has been so painful. It has been devastating for me, for my family, for my friends. I don’t wish this upon anybody. To the person that was claiming this nonsense, I wish him the best - and I wish he finds the help so he can start a new life filled with love and truth and joy - and he doesn’t hurt anybody else.” “Now, my priority is to heal and how do I heal? With music,” Martin continued. “I cannot wait to be back on stage. I cannot wait to be back in front of the cameras and entertain, which is what I do best.” “Thank you to all my friends. Thank you to all the fans who always believed in me. You have no idea the strength that you gave me with every comment you wrote on social media. I wish you love and light - and here we come with the same strength and passion.” Martin’s husband of five years also broke his silence, posting a photo of the couple together with the caption: “Truth prevails.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgSOwN7PGev/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgSOwN7PGev/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jwan Yosef (@jwanyosef)</a> </div> </blockquote> Image: Getty

Legal

Woman “harassed” over previous tenant’s 78 cent bill

A furious Sydney has slammed energy provider Dodo for “harassing” her over an unpaid energy bill belonging to the previous tenant. Since moving into her new rental apartment just two months ago, she has received several urgent notices concerning the “outrageous debt” of just 78 cents. “Who the f*** is running this company?” she wrote in a fuming post to Facebook on Friday, answering her own question, “A pack of f**kin dodos”. “I’ve been in this apartment two months, this is the third – that’s THREE – letter of demand for the outrageous debt of 78 cents owed by the former tenant,” she wrote. The woman then speculated that it cost the energy provider more than the amount owing on the bill to send the letters in the first place. “It’s cost them a sh**tonne more than that in postal costs, let alone the wages of the person I gave an ear bashing to,” she wrote, instructing the company to “bog off”. She then included a photo of the bill in question, which read, “This notice is to advise you that your final electricity amount remains unpaid and is overdue, as a result of your Pay on Time discount has been removed and the total amount of $00.78 is now overdue.” The company’s persistence caused many online to react in a similar way to the recipient of the letter, with many in disbelief at why they don’t just let it go. The woman clarified in a comment she called Dodo after receiving the invoice for a second time, but it seemed her effort had been wasted. “I have called them after the second letter to inform them the dude was no longer living here. They wanted to know my name … and eventually said they’d fix it up,” she wrote. “Maybe they thought they’d give it one last go – after all, it’s the princely sum of 78 cents at stake! Next time I will demand a recompense.” Image credits: Facebook

Real Estate

Rebel Wilson comes forward about sexual harassment

Rebel Wilson has claimed a former male co-star sexually harassed her and then attempted to “destroy” her career. She claims the unnamed man “called me into a room and pulled down his pants” and then, in front of his friends, asked her to perform a lewd act. “It was awful and disgusting,” the 42-year-old she said, opting not to reveal his name or even what film it was. “And all the behaviour afterwards — this was all before #MeToo — where they kind of tried to destroy me and my career. If it had happened after #MeToo, then I could have just blasted them.” The actress, who has a law degree from the University of New South Wales, did what she could to document the incident for legal purposes and immediately called her representatives. “I got certain things in writing about what happened,” she said. “Definitely among industry circles, I made sure people knew what happened.” Rebel she should have left the movie when it happened, admitting that staying “wasn’t worth it.” “But at the same time, I was like, ‘Oh well, do the right thing, be a professional and finish the movie.’ Now I would never do that,” she explained. “I thought even complaining to my agency was a big step. And to complain to the studio. I found out I was like the fourth person to complain about the guy. Such gross behaviour, but a lot of women have had it way worse.” Wilson also said she would stand up for herself “even more” if something similar happened today. Image: Getty

Legal

Woman claims Shakespeare's Juliet statue is being sexually harassed

A woman has gone viral on TikTok for claiming a statue of Shakespeare's Juliet is being "sexually harassed". The woman said tourists has been behaving inappropriately towards the statue, which stands in a courtyard in Verona and is a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. Those who visit the courtyard often rub the bosom of the statue, believing it will bring good luck and prosperity. The TikTok user was ridiculed over the video, with people pointing out the statue is "not a real woman" and that she should save her energy for actual cases of sexual harassment. She was also accused of being insensitive to people's superstitions, who often visit the statue for spiritual guidance. The TikTok video, which is captioned '#JusticeForJuliet', has racked up over 1 million views. Speaking in the clip, the poster said, "Juliet's statue has been sexually harassed so often that her dress literally faded." A tourist can be seen eagerly taking a photo of themselves touching Juliet's breast in the hopes of getting lucky in the short video. The video was quickly flooded with comments from people who were baffled by her point of view. One person said, "That is literally a statue of a fictional character go worry about real women with actual emotions." Another commented, "Y'all... it's an inanimate object... it doesn't need to consent." While most people agreed that the woman's point of view was misguided, there were a handful of comments that agreed the touching of the statue was wrong. One person said, "Yeah when I went none of my fam was comfortable, we were like no thanks we will not be groping the child statue." Image credits: TikTok / Getty Images

Travel Trouble

"Shame on you": Woman responds to vicious note left on car

A British woman has fired back at a person who left a cruel, fat-shaming note on the windscreen of her car while she was grocery shopping. The woman, who remains anonymous, revealed her shock when she came back to her car to find a note after a minor incident she experienced while getting out of her car. In a recent post on social media, she recounted the events saying that she accidentally "tapped" another vehicle whilst opening her car door. She also said that the female driver whose car she tapped was parked across two spaces. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/Note.jpg" alt="" width="629" height="293" /> Upon returning to her car after her shopping, she was shocked to find a cruel message which "hoped" for her to end up in an accident. The post read, "Fat people need to drive thin cars and be more polite. I hope you have an accident." The woman posted a photo of the note and addressed the driver behind the letter in the caption writing, "Shame on you for making such derogatory remarks about another person, you must be a very sad and bad person for wishing that someone has an accident. Glad I don't know you." She continued, "At 54 and size 12/14, I didn't take offence but this person doesn't know my journey and for her to make such a horrible comment and wish me harm is beyond belief." The post gained plenty of internet attention and the woman received an overwhelming amount of support from internet goers who condemned the note. "That's disgusting, what a terrible thing to even think, let alone put it in writing," one user wrote. Another added, "For someone to write this, they are sick and twisted. They certainly are not good members of society, so don't worry, they're letting out because their own life is horrendous." Images: Getty & Gloucester Live

Travel Trouble

Woman awarded $24,000 after being sexually harassed and stalked by a colleague

Image: Getty A female security guard in New Zealand has been awarded $NZ24,000 ($22,600) in compensation after she claimed a colleague sexually harassed her. The woman said the man physically restrained her, stalked her on social media and told her he would follow her home and watch her sleep, according to The NZ Herald. The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) upheld the woman’s personal grievance claim of unjustifiable action, agreeing her employer did not deal with her sexual harassment complaint fully. The ERA suppressed the names of the woman, the male security guard and the workplace to protect the woman. The woman started working for the security company on January 11, 2019, and for the first five weeks of her employment she worked at the same bar in central Christchurch. The sexual harassment then went on to start in February 2019, the woman said. It was verbal, consisting of unwanted and unacceptable sexual comments. She tried ignoring the harassment and avoiding the colleague but the harassment only got worse. It escalated to the point where she was so anxious around the man she started having panic attacks and was increasingly concerned about what he might do. The ERA found the man was “brazen in his behaviour and unrepentant, he did not stop the behaviour when asked”. It was found he stalked the woman on social media and told her he was doing this. He said he would follow her home and watch her sleep, and there had been one incident at work where the man had physically restrained her against her will. After hiding in her car one night to avoid the man, the woman approached another colleague, who encouraged her to go to their team leader. The team leader immediately changed the woman’s shifts so she was no longer working with the man. The business owner was also informed. The owner sent a message to the woman asking to meet so he could find out what was going on. She messaged back saying she was scared to say anything at first because she didn’t know how it would “be handled”. She said she had been sexually harassed and it had “gotten to the point where I’m scared and uncomfortable to be around him”. “He just turned up to [the bar] and I got the worse [sic] anxiety and had to go in my car until he had left.” The owner gave assurance the woman would be kept safe at work. The pair met in early April 2019 and the owner said he was meeting the company lawyer to discuss what steps to take. “I really don’t understand what’s going through his head, it’s like he’s trying to either intimidate me or something … I really don’t know what to do anymore.” In reply, the owner said he had told the colleague to leave the woman alone and that his behaviour could be considered serious misconduct. From April until July there were various meetings and messages and the business owner told the woman he would investigate and report back to her. He said he would speak to the lawyer about the next steps to take. She reiterated she felt intimidated and said, “I don’t think he should be working in this industry in the type of workplace he is because of the harassment. It’s not something that should be taken lightly because of the extent of it and how confident he was doing it.” The owner asked for a timeline of evidence so he could progress it to the next level and the woman provided a document outlining the harassment. A month later the woman received a message from another manager at the company that said the matter was still under investigation and “you need to let us deal with it”. The manager continued, “Personal issues don’t come to work and affect a professional environment because then it gets ugly. Just don’t let whatever kind of issue this is interfering with our business operations please, we’ve worked too hard to build a professional reputation I get on edge when it’s being damaged.” On May 10th, police called the woman to say her complaint was a work issue and needed to be dealt with at work.The call sparked a panic attack and the woman called her father. Her father called the owner of the business and complained about the lack of action and support. This prompted the owner to apologise to the woman. He also said the harassment wasn‘t happening at work so it was “a police issue now”. He offered to go to the police station with the woman but then never confirmed a time.The woman’s father then contacted the owner again and said nothing had been done. The father had heard the colleague accused of sexual harassment had been telling others at work everything was made up. The father asked, “What are your steps to getting this solved or have you lied to me and swept it under the carpet?” The ERA found that despite meetings and messages, the company had not completed the investigation into sexual harassment. This had come after the woman had trusted that the owner would resolve the complaint. She hadn’t received a report and no outcome had been reported to her. The ERA found the woman’s claim for personal grievance was not that the company had failed to protect her but that it failed to deal with the sexual harassment complaint appropriately. It found the woman was disadvantaged at work because she felt unsafe. The woman was awarded $NZ24,000 compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings.

Legal

Hey Dad star's powerful message on sexual harassment in Australia

Sarah Monahan exposed her childhood abuser and on-screen father Robert Linday Hughes during a time when speaking up was still considered taboo. Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="http://news.com.au/" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>, she said her allegations of being repeatedly molested while a child star on Hey Dad…! "was met with suspicion". “People asked what I was looking for – was it money, an extra 15 minutes of fame? It took four years to get to court and have Robert Hughes found guilty.” Hughes, who played Martin Kelly in the iconic TV series, was handed a maximum prison term on 10 years and nine months. She wrote an open letter and sent it to <a rel="noopener" href="http://news.com.au/" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>: “I know most people are looking at the news coming out of parliament right now, and are horrified. I’m actually thrilled with the current events. “I’m not happy at the content of the reports of the sexual abuse and misogyny, but I am so happy that for once we’re actually hearing about them, and that women are speaking up, telling their stories, and that they’re actually being aired and listened to. People are listening, and joining in with their stories, and marching in the streets, demanding action. “It’s an exciting time. “For those on the ground, telling their stories, it will be an absolutely terrifying time. They’ll be scared of speaking up. Scared of the backlash. Scared of what people will say and think. Scared they’ll lose their jobs, or place in society. “But women today have something I didn’t when I spoke up. They’ve got each other, and a movement, and they might not be able to see it while they’re down in the trenches, but I feel like we’re on the cusp on a great change. “If everyone stands together and keeps marching forward, the way they have been, we could see an entire societal shift, like we did with the women’s right to vote or the feminist bra burnings of the ’70s. “When I spoke up about my dealings on the set of Hey Dad..! back in March of 2010, 11 years ago now, there wasn’t a movement yet. There were other victims, but we weren’t allowed to talk to each other. We couldn’t console each other and provide support. “Being the only public face, I was left to deal with all the scrutiny. Back then, speaking up was still taboo. It was met with suspicion. People asked what I was looking for — was it money, an extra 15 minutes of fame? It took four years to get to court and have Robert Hughes found guilty. "During that time, the Royal Commission into Child Abuse was started. I was initially invited to give testimony there, but they didn’t want it to affect the case. Thankfully, other victims of the entertainment industry came forward, and gave their stories to be heard. “Then the Weinstein movement happened. There was still some initial pushback, because actresses could only be accusing someone because they needed something right? But then more and more people started talking. They started to support each other. They created #MeToo, and then thousands of people started adding their stories. Now people refer to being “Weinsteined” in movies. “Australia had some setbacks. There were a few cases of people speaking up, and being sued, which made people scared to speak up. It hushed the room again. Why speak up if it opens you up to having your life ruined financially as well as emotionally? "But then Grace Tame came along. I was horrified to hear of her case, and the archaic laws that existed that didn't allow a victim to speak up. I wished I had been in Australia to do more for the #LetHerSpeak campaign, but I was absolutely thrilled when the law was overturned. “I was even happier when I saw her win Australian of the Year. “After 11 years, we had gone from someone speaking out and receiving a barrage of death threats, to someone speaking up and being made Australian of the Year. Eleven years may seem like a long time, but to me, it’s amazing at how far we’ve come in that time. I’m deeply proud of Australians for the change they’ve made in how they react when someone speaks up about abuse. "Watching the #March4Justice on TV from afar made me homesick, wishing I could be there to walk alongside you. To show my support. To offer hugs where needed. But I could see the support for each other, see how people really listened to those speaking, and I shed a tear. Partly of self pity, wishing I’d had that kind of support back in the day, but also of joy, at seeing how much has changed. It’s bittersweet watching the changes. “So for all the women who are currently standing up in parliament, I want to applaud you. I want to encourage you to keep fighting. You’re the ones who can make changes from the very top. Use your parliamentary privilege to out people. “Use your positions to change laws to make it easier for victims to seek justice. Make Australia a better place for Australians, and show the rest of the world that women and children are equals, and deserve to live their lives without fear of abuse or sexual assault. “It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. There’s going to be a lot more that comes out. Some of it will be deeply disturbing. People in power will place gag orders, they’ll try to hush people. “They’ll try to discredit people, and use smear campaigns as we’ve already seen. But as long as you all keep holding each others hands, keep watching each others backs, and most importantly, keep hearing each other, and refusing to accept any of the bullsh*t anymore, it’s going to get better. “I promise, the pain you’re going through now is worth it. When you look back in a few years time, you’ll know you made some sacrifices, but you made a huge difference, and it’ll all be worth it.”

News

Robert De Niro sued for harassment and gender discrimination

Robert De Niro has been accused of gender discrimination and harassment in a $12 million lawsuit filed by former employee Graham Chase Robinson. In a court document obtained by <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6446423-Robinson.html">the Hollywood Reporter</a>, Robinson alleges that De Niro and his film production company Canal Productions subjected her to a “hostile work environment” and “years of gender discrimination and harassment”, including “gratuitous unwanted physical contact”, “abusive and sexist comments”, and underpayments “because she was not a male breadwinner”. According to Robinson, whose most recent position at the company was vice-president of production and finance, De Niro called her a “bitch” and a “spoiled brat”, asked her to “scratch his back” and “put away his boxers”, and made her work 20 to 30 hours of overtime per week without any additional pay. De Niro also allegedly implied Robinson deserved a lower salary than a male staff “whose job required no greater skill, effort or responsibility” because she was “a woman without children”. “De Niro made demands of Ms Robinson that he never imposed on males,” said Robinson’s lawyer Alexandra Harwin. “De Niro’s treatment of Ms Robinson was inappropriate, demeaning, abusive, and intolerable, and he needs to be held accountable.” The complaint comes after De Niro’s company filed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/aug/19/robert-de-niro-sues-ex-employee-embezzlement-netflix-binge">a $6 million suit</a> against Robinson in August, accusing her of embezzling money and binge-watching television shows during office hours. Robinson argued that De Niro’s decision to sue her was “filled with baseless, bad faith and frivolous allegations” designed to “destroy her reputation” and prevent her from pursuing her claims. “Now, when her name is Googled, these allegations pop up on the screen,” the file read. “The results have been devastating to Ms Robinson. Her reputation and her career have been destroyed.” In response, De Niro’s lawyer Tom Harvey said Robinson’s claims are “beyond absurd”.

Legal

Nicole Kidman's surprising admission about ex-husband Tom Cruise

Nicole Kidman has opened up for the first time about the immense power of her former husband Tom Cruise in Hollywood, and in a rare comment about their relationship, the star spoke of her “love” for him in the revealing interview. The Oscar winner said she was reluctant to talk about her first marriage out of respect for her current husband, country singer Keith Urban. (The loved-up pair recently released a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/nicole-kidman-sings-emotional-duet-with-husband-keith-urban" target="_blank" title="video">video</a> which showed them performing an emotional duet together.) "Being married to Tom Cruise at 22 is something I'm always reluctant to talk about, because I'm married now to the man who is my great love [Keith Urban], and it almost feels disrespectful," the star told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/women-and-power-nicole-kidman.html" target="_blank" title="New York Magazine">New York Magazine</a>. Kidman admitted her union with Cruise was first and foremost about love, but the relationship afforded her “protection” from predatory behaviour in Hollywood as a young actress in the industry. “I got married very young, but it definitely wasn't power for me – it was protection,” she said. “I married for love, but being married to an extremely powerful man kept me from being sexually harassed.” The star added, "I would work, but I was still very much cocooned. So when I came out of [the marriage] at 32, 33, it's almost like I had to grow up.” In light of the #MeToo era, and the sexual harassment and abuse that had been rampant in Hollywood for years, Cruise’s immense sway in Tinseltown can be seen in a whole new light. That said, the Aussie actress admitted that she’d had her share of “#MeToo moments” throughout her life. “But do I want to expose them in an article? No. Do they come out in my work? Absolutely. I’m open and raw. I want to have my well of experience and emotion tapped into, used — and I’m not just talking about sexual harassment. I’m talking about loss, death, the full array of life,” said the 51-year-old. Kidman and Cruise became a power couple after meeting in 1990 as co-stars of Days of Thunder, marrying that same year. They would go on to star together in Far and Away two years later, and in the controversial Eyes Wide Shut in 1999. They adopted two children, Isabella, who is now 25, and son Connor, now 23. The marriage ended in 2001 amid speculation Kidman wanted to have no part in Scientology, of which Cruise is a devoted disciple. The actress is set to appear in a movie about the Fox News sexual harassment scandal playing Gretchen Carlson, the former news anchor who was the first woman to file a sexual harassment suit against the now-disgraced Fox News chief Roger Ailes.

Movies

Barbara Streisand opens up: "I wasn't pretty enough to be harassed"

Barbara Streisand has revealed she’s never suffered sexual harassment in Hollywood, but has felt abused by the media. In a wide-ranging interview with director, product and long-time admirer Ryan Murphy, Streisand spoke candidly about her career, the #MeToo movement and her aversion to interviews. When asked if she had ever been sexually harassed or mistreated, Streisand replied: “Never”. “I wasn’t like those pretty girls with those nice little noses. Maybe that’s why,” she added. Of the #MeToo movement sweeping the entertainment industry, she said, “We’re in a strange time now in terms of men and women and the pendulum swinging this way and that way, and it’s going to have to come to the centre.” She also opened up about her reluctance to speak to the media, which is based on years of what she labelled “inaccurate reporting”. One particularly persistent story that Streisand labelled as false is that she has an “awards room” at home dedicated to her Oscars, Emmys and other trophies. She also criticised the late American TV journalist Mike Wallace, recalling how when she was a young star (and before Wallace joined 60 Minutes) he asked her a series of hurtful questions during a TV interview and she had complained to him afterwards. However, on a subsequent show Wallace told viewers who’d objected to his line questioning of Streisand that she “loved” the interview. “I thought, I don’t know what date rape is, it’s terrible … but it was such a violation,” she said. “Why lie?” The interview, which was part of a tribute to Streisand for the 35th annual PaleyFest LA television festival at the Dolby Theatre, ended with Murphy’s own personal tribute to the Funny Girl star. “People talk about Barbra as the greatest female star. I say, no, that’s not enough,” Murphy said, adding, “She was a touchstone, a beacon I followed my entire life.”

Music

Craig McLachlan's partner breaks silence over sexual harassment claims

Craig McLachlan’s partner Vanessa Scammell has broken her silence over the<a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2018/01/craig-mclachlan-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/" target="_blank"> vicious sexual harassment claims</a> levelled at the one-time Home and Away star, revealing she was in deep shock when she first found out about the allegations. “All I can say is that the shock was out of this world,” Vanessa Scammell told Steve Price on 2GB on Thursday. “It’s been a rough and savage... being an Australian (and believing) in the adage of giving people a fair go in this country just has not happened in this and there’s been such a willingness to for people to jump on this express with no due process.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Craig McLachlan has been seen in public again as he sues the ABC , Fairfax & an actress over claims he was a predator in the stage production of the Rocky Horror Show. The case is in court Friday with McLachlan's lawyers wanting a response from the defendants. <a href="https://twitter.com/ebatten7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ebatten7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7News?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7News</a> <a href="https://t.co/64fG9MlvDk">pic.twitter.com/64fG9MlvDk</a> — 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) <a href="https://twitter.com/7NewsSydney/status/973106433876111360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote> Scammell, who is a conductor at Opera Australia, told Price she feels the allegations McLachlan sexually harassed co-stars during a 2014 production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show are false, and has never asked him if they where true. “When it all happened the one thing I said to my girlfriend is that you know you know through all of this I didn’t even ever have to ask Craig if there was any truth in it. I didn’t have to.” Scammell who has been McLachlan’s partner of eight years reaffirmed her commitment to stand by her man throughout the scandal, and fight to clear his name. “We basically are determined and will do everything we can to move through this and clear his name. For everyone to realise that the person who is Craig McLachlan is not the person who has been painted. “Craig McLachlan is not that person. He’s kind and gentle and funny … yes he’s mischievous. “But one of his greatest assets is that he loves to make people happy and comfortable.” McLachlan is suing the ABC, Fairfax Media and his fellow Rocky Horror Picture Show co-store Christie Wheelan-Brown over the reports which suggest he indecently touched the actress. The lawsuit is set to return to the NSW Supreme Court on Friday. What are your thoughts? Hero image credit: Twitter / 2GB

Music

Nadine Garner defends Craig McLachlan’s behaviour on the set of Doctor Blake

Nadine Garner, Craig McLachlan’s co-star on The Doctor Blake Mysteries, has jumped to his defence in a new interview following a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2018/01/craig-mclachlan-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/">slew of sexual harassment allegations</a> against the actor while working on The Rocky Horror Show. Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, the actress, who plays Jean Beazley in the 1950s drama, defended the workplace culture as "fun". "Craig was very much the team leader, it was his show, but we were all part of that and we all jumped on board," the 47-year-old said. "He might muck around in between takes, but he's also producing a beautiful character and an amazing show, usually with one take and he works at a standard that I've never seen another actor work at, quite frankly." Earlier this year, production on Doctor Blake was stopped pending an <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2018/01/doctor-blake-mysteries-production-put-on-hold/">internal investigation</a> into McLachlan's on-set behaviour. The report cleared McLachlan of any on-set sexual harassment, misconduct or workplace bullying, but it stated the workplace culture was "sexual, lewd, bawdy, 'Benny-Hill-esque' and crude." "I guess, on reflection, that's how it was seen," Nadine conceded. "Yes, it got a bit lewd, but most people do in their workplace at some point. It's sort of how you get through the day. "I don't think anybody was hurt or offended. I'd be saddened if they were."

News

Craig McLachlan to sue over sexual harassment claims

Craig McLachlan has <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2018/01/craig-mclachlan-breaks-silence-about-sexual-misconduct-allegations/" target="_blank">been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2018</a>, and it appears the former Neighbours star has finally had enough, filing defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media and the ABC on Thursday. <a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank">News.com.au</a> reports the Gold Logie winning actor is set to contest claims that he sexually harassed several former colleagues, with former co-star Christie Whelan Browne among the names mentioned in the defamation suit. McLachlan’s statement of claim lodged in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon, focuses on brown who he says committed “indecent acts” on him. The claim states Browne was "herself a notoriously foul-mouthed person who publicly distributed offensive matter and had expressed interest in deviant sexual practices." A joint investigation between <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2018/01/craig-mclachlan-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/" target="_blank">Fairfax Media and the ABC earlier this year</a> reported several cast members of a 2014 run of The Rocky Horror Show had accused McLachlan of sexual harassment, leading to him to pull out of the show’s current run in Adelaide. What are your thoughts? Hero image credit: Twitter / World News Home

Music

Helen Mirren breaks silence on Hollywood sexual harassment scandal

In an exclusive interview with the <a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/helen-mirren-on-hollywoods-scandal-44474" target="_blank">Australian Women’s Weekly</a>, Helen Mirren has opened up for the first time about the sexual harassment scandal that’s rocked Hollywood in recent months. “The shift has been coming, the volcano has been bubbling away there,” she said. “It was weird, all of them – not just [Harvey] Weinstein; Bill O’Reilly [Fox News host], Roger Ailes [Fox News Chairman]. Weird. Ew! Men are weird! Obviously it’s absolutely nothing to do with sex, it's more to do with power, and what is it in men that needs that?” Mirren, 72, like hundreds of the entertainment world’s biggest stars, had previously worked on films distributed by Weinstein. “The irony and the contradiction and the pain of the whole thing, if you like, the loss of Harvey, is that he did the kind of movies that an awful lot of filmmakers want to do, the independent films, the interesting films. “The very first time I met and worked with Harvey was on The Cook The Thief His Wife And Her Lover, which he distributed in America. He’s very courageous and he took that little, low-budget, high-art movie and he made sure that it was seen in America.” But despite admitting the disgraced producer was a “bully”, the screen legend had no idea of the evil lurking inside him. “I knew that Harvey could be very, very aggressive, very bullying, very demeaning to people he worked with. And a lot of people in Hollywood can be like that, incidentally.” Mirren’s husband, director Taylor Hackford, was just as shocked as his wife. “He was like me, I don't think he had any concept of that. He had a concept of the nature of people losing it and shouting at people and demeaning people in front of other people, that sort of thing. “It's part and parcel of existence in Hollywood, really, and people know that and they toughen up and they deal with it and they get on with it… But yes a major shift has happened.”

Movies

Production of next Doctor Blake Mysteries series suspended

Production of the new season of The Dr Blake Mysteries has been put on hold as police investigate sexual harassment claims involving actor Craig McLachlan. <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2018/01/craig-mclachlan-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/" target="_blank">A theatre star claims</a> that the actor inappropriately touched her during production of The Rocky Horror Show and said other female actors working with him felt constantly on edge, fearing harassment. “You kind of had to go into the theatre with armour on, we had to. That’s the best way I could describe it,” Christie Whelan Browne told the ABC’s 7.30 on Monday night. She and two other former co-workers have made claims against McLachlan who has also starred in The Rocky Horror Show, Home and Away and Neighbours. Whelan Browne was starring alongside McLachlan in The Rocky Horror Show when she alleges he inappropriately touched her on stage in front of 2000 people. “He was directed to kiss down my neck, down my arm and go down out of sight but he would always kiss down my breasts and continue to kiss all the way down until I would have to sort of move and wriggle away.” McLachlan has denied the claims saying the show was “a confrontational musical oozing with sexuality” and that as a result “actors have to perform certain actions”. Actress Erika Heynatz has said that McLachlan confronted her once in her dressing room. “He knelt down in front of me and then started saying along the lines of, “You’re really beautiful. I can’t stop thinking about you. And he took me by the face and kissed me. And I was completely taken aback by it. So I was just kind of frozen. And shaky. It really unsettled me. It unnerved me. It undermined my confidence,” she told 7.30. Another time he straddled her on a couch and she told him it was “too much”. Angela Scundi told a director she didn’t want to perform an unscripted kiss with the actor, that he often improvised with the principal actress for which she was an understudy. She was assured she wouldn’t have to perform the unscripted kiss. “The second night I went on, I ran in, hugged. He grabbed me and kissed me. But I couldn’t do anything. That’s what I felt. I was caught completely off guard because the night before he hadn’t done that. And so I thought I was safe." She confronted him, calling him a “cheeky b***ard”. “He turned around and he said, “What do you mean?' And I’m like, 'Don’t do that. Don’t you kiss me. Don’t you do that ever again.'” She continued, “And he turned and, like, I don’t feel fear at that level, but I haven’t felt that terrified ever in my life or ever again." The theatre company behind The Rocky Horror Show, The Gordon Frost Organisation (GFO) issued a statement following the allegations expressing their shock. The statement also stated, “We take these allegations very seriously, and have always endeavoured to prioritise a safe working environment. “In response, we have spoken to Craig and have mutually agreed that it is not appropriate for him to continue in the current production of the show. We will be conducting a full internal investigation and will cooperate fully with authorities. “While we clearly cannot comment on the details of this particular case, sexual assault in any form is unacceptable, and we will work diligently within this industry to support the right of all people to be protected in the workplace, and stand by those who are victims of inappropriate behaviour. “In order to clarify media reports, we wish to state that we were not aware of any details of these allegations until they were published in the media today. We received correspondence from a law firm shortly before Christmas however this contained no details of the claims or the claimants. “The response from our lawyers was based on this lack of information and was not in any way directed at the women who have come forward and made these allegations. “We can also confirm that our records show the claimants at no time made any complaint – formal or informal – to the company manager or executive producer of The Rocky Horror Show in 2014. “Furthermore no one at GFO recalls any verbal discussion of this nature. It would be distressing to us if anyone within our company was dismissive of sexual assault allegations, and this will form a part of our internal investigation.” McLachlan has denied the allegations which include indecent assault, sexual harassment, exposing himself and bullying female co-stars. The actor said in an email to Fairfax Media that the claims are “baseless" and “they seem to be simple inventions, perhaps made for financial reasons, perhaps to gain notoriety”. “These allegations are ALL made up,” he said. The production company behind The Doctor Blake Mysteries, December Media, said the series would be put on hold following the claims. The company said in a statement that throughout the production of the show they are confident there have been no incidents of any cast or crew members acting inappropriately towards their co-workers. “Throughout the six years of production of Doctor Blake it has not only been an enormously popular show on air but popular with cast and crew who come back to work on the series year after year. Craig has been central to this success both in front of camera and on set. It is not appropriate for December to respond to the allegations about Craig McLachlan’s behaviour in relation to another production he has appeared in,” the statement read. “However, in the light of these allegations December Media will temporarily hold production preparations for the new series to allow due process. “December Media is committed to a safe and secure working environment. We do not tolerate any form of behaviour, which makes anyone feel threatened or uncomfortable for whatever reason in the workplace. December has policies and procedures in place to ensure all staff feel confident about reporting any issue or incident to management and can be assured that management will act swiftly. Given these allegations are subject to a police investigation December Media will not be making any further comment.” Victorian Police are investigating the claims surrounding the actor.

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