In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, actresses have been stepping forward to talk about misconduct they experienced with him and other male Hollywood figures. Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie both spoke out about Weinstein's unwanted advances.
Male stars have also been speaking out, lauding the women for their bravery. One was Ben Affleck, who posted his support, saying he was "saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades." He added, "I find myself asking what I can do to make sure this doesn't happen to others."
Then, Affleck got dragged.
First, Rose McGowan — who has been vocal about her own experience with Weinstein — claimed that Affleck was aware of the producer's harassment.
@benaffleck "GODDAMNIT! I TOLD HIM TO STOP DOING THAT" you said that to my face. The press conf I was made to go to after assault. You lie.
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 10, 2017
Then, "Lethal Weapon" cast member Hilarie Burton shared her own Affleck story from her time as a VJ on "Total Request Live." When a Twitter user brought up Affleck's 2003 appearance on "TRL," when he allegedly grabbed Burton's breast, she corroborated the claim:
I didn't forget.
— Hilarie Burton (@HilarieBurton) October 10, 2017
Burton then shared video of "TRL" outtakes where she mentions her left breast getting "tweaked." Affleck, who is a decade older than Burton, also asks her "What are you — 19?"
MTV TRL Uncensored Cold Open from steven beal on Vimeo.
The actor responded to Burton:
I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) October 11, 2017