Cate Blanchett has offered her "wholehearted support" to the women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Cate Blanchett
The 48-year-old actress - who worked with the movie mogul on a number of movies, including 'Carol' and 'The Aviator' - is the latest Hollywood star to speak out against the 65-year-old producer following a damning New York Times expose, which claimed he had sexually harassed a number of women over a 30-year period and paid off at least eight to keep their allegations quiet, and she applauded the likes of Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd for coming forward about their ordeals.
She told Variety: "Any man in a position of power or authority who thinks it's his prerogative to threaten, intimidate or sexually assault any woman he encounters or works alongside needs to be called to account. It is never easy for a woman to come forward in such situations and I wholeheartedly support those who have."
Leonardo DiCaprio has also slammed Weinstein - who was hit by a fresh wave of more serious allegations in The New Yorker on Tuesday (10.10.17) - and praised the courage of his alleged victims.
He wrote on social media: "There is no excuse for sexual harassment or sexual assault -- no matter who you are and no matter what profession.
"I applaud the strength and courage of the women who came forward and made their voices heard."
Weinstein was a big donor to the Democratic party, and his alleged behaviour has been condemned by both their recent presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, and former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.
A spokesperson for Hillary issued a statement which read: "I was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein.
"The behaviour described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior."
And President Obama said he and his wife were "disgusted" by the reports.
He said in a statement: "Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein.
"Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status. We should celebrate the courage of women who have come forward to tell these painful stories.
"And we all need to build a culture -- including by empowering our girls and teaching our boys decency and respect -- so we can make such behaviour less prevalent in the future."
In the wake of the scandal, Weinstein has been sacked from The Weinstein Company and his wife Georgina Chapman has left him, while he has also been slammed by big names in Hollywood, including Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, and Dame Judi Dench.
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