Latest news with #MeToo
Irish Independent
41 minutes ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Mary Kenny: Most men are not toxic – peddling that #MeToo trope is sadly ruining professional relationships
But Sheryl Sandberg, former Facebook chief and author of Lean In, has been warning for a while now that 40pc of men in management roles are 'uncomfortable' in sharing work activity with a woman, or feel concerned about mentoring a female colleague. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, senior men are hesitant about spending time with women junior to them for fear of misunderstood communications being interpreted as sexual harassment.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Rapper Vedan booked for rape after complaint of sexual abuse on promise of marriage
Malayalam rapper and songwriter Hirandas Murali, popularly known as Vedan, has been booked for rape on a complaint lodged by a young doctor accusing that he sexually abused her on the promise of marriage. The Thrikkakara police in Ernakulam, Kerala, registered the case after the petitioner approached the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kochi City) on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) night. The police registered the case after recording the petitioner's statement. 'We are verifying the facts, after which further steps will be taken. The incidents leading to the complaint took place a few years ago. The case was registered by the Thrikkakara police after it was mentioned as one of the places where the alleged sexual abuse on the promise of marriage took place,' a senior police officer told The Hindu. Reportedly, the petitioner came forward with the complaint after she came across the account of another woman who allegedly had similar experiences with Vedan. Vedan had faced sexual abuse allegations in the past as well during the height of the Me Too movement. On April 28, 2025, the Hill Palace police in Kochi arrested Vedan along with eight other friends allegedly with six grams of ganja from his apartment near Vyttila in Kochi. While he was released on bail in that case, he was immediately arrested by the Forest department after he was found possessing a leopard-tooth pendant. He claimed that it was gifted to him by a fan. Later, he was released on bail in that case as well. Since then, he had run-ins with the BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits after a BJP councillor of Palakkad municipality lodged a complaint against Vedan accusing that his music defamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promoted caste divisions. Vedan also hit out at K. P. Sasikala of the Hindu Aikya Vedhi on her take against rap music culture. He stated that those opposing him seem to be troubled by the politics that he had been advocating. 'Such responses show that what I am doing is hitting at the right point,' he had said.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Pedro Pascal targeted by suspected smear campaign during Fantastic Four press tour
While promoting The Fantastic Four: First Steps worldwide, Pedro Pascal is now facing what appears to be a suspicious smear campaign on social media. Despite his growing popularity in 2025, a wave of criticism has emerged online, with some users accusing the actor of inappropriate behavior during press events—particularly in interactions with co-star Vanessa Kirby. How does Pedro Pascal get away with heavily petting his female costars, in Hollywood of all places, after the entire industry was upended over MeToo several years ago? — John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) July 23, 2025 A viral post on X (formerly Twitter), which received over 47,000 likes, questions Pascal's physical affection with female co-stars, drawing comparisons to Hollywood's post-MeToo era. This backlash arrives as online discourse grows increasingly wary of coordinated takedowns, especially following long-running public conflicts like the one between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. In that case, Baldoni was accused of orchestrating a doctored social media smear campaign—raising public awareness about how such efforts can be manufactured. I know an artificial smear campaign when I see one — and Pedro Pascal is being targeted. Probably because he's so well-loved by so many, and an advocate for trans rights. — 𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍𝙰𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 🇨🇦 (@LeaveHeardAlone) July 24, 2025 The Pedro Pascal hate campaign that suddenly sprung up over night has got to be the most obviously coordinated and botted attack I've ever seen. It's literally the Superman monkey meme incarnate — Mischief (@MischiefsYT) July 24, 2025 Some users have linked the sudden shift in sentiment toward Pascal to his recent vocal opposition to J.K. Rowling's anti-trans views. While no direct connection has been proven, many fans suspect a broader, possibly bot-driven campaign is targeting the actor. 'The Pedro Pascal hate campaign... is the most obviously coordinated and botted attack I've ever seen,' one user wrote on X, garnering thousands of likes. this whole pedro pascal thing is just revealing that most men cannot fathom intimacy and affection without the promise of sex — ellaa (@EllaaKates) July 25, 2025 I think most of the anger directed at Pedro Pascal is men not knowing what consent is — evan loves worf (@esjesjesj) July 25, 2025 Vanessa Kirby, Pascal's co-star, addressed the criticism in Vanity Fair. Referencing their hand-holding moment during 2024 Comic-Con, she said, 'He wanted me to know we were in this together... I found it a lovely gesture.' Actor Simu Liu also weighed in, criticizing 'manufactured hate' and defending Pascal's character during what he called a 'moment of extreme visibility.' manufactured hate for someone simply because they're experiencing a moment of extreme visibility (ie a press tour they're contractually obligated to do) is really fucking boring. — Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) July 26, 2025 Despite the backlash, Pascal remains in demand, appearing this year in The Last of Us Season 2, The Fantastic Four, Materialists, and Ari Aster's Eddington.
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: Hockey Canada trial exposes culture of victim-blaming
Article content All of Canada it seems was tuned into the verdict Thursday for the five hockey players accused of sexual assault. For advocates and survivors, we did so with a feeling of dread and a terribly familiar feeling of déjà vu. Article content The players have of course been found not guilty. The accusation was that 2018 Canadian world junior champions and ex-NHL players Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote sexually assaulted a women called E.M. in a London hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018, when she was 20 years old. McLeod was also acquitted of being a party to a sexual assault, for allegedly encouraging his teammates to engage in sexual activity with E.M. when he knew she wasn't consenting. Article content Article content Article content The judge's verdict seemed to go out of its way to dismiss the experience of E.M., calling her unreliable, despite the fact that Hockey Canada seemed to find it valid enough to award her a large settlement and the police felt there was valid evidence to pursue charges. It is worth noting that of all the cases reported to police of sexual assault, research suggests only a small percentage go to trial, so this wasn't a case without merit or reason. Article content Article content Regardless of whether these actions met the weight of a criminal act, they were at their most obvious, sexual misconduct. It has been determined in court that these five men knew the victim was drunk; they texted afterwards about getting their stories straight and they also got her to film a video asserting her consent. At no time in my entire dating life have I had to do that and I am sure you have not either. Article content Article content However, the responses online have been vicious: Comment after comment calling her a whore. Saying she wanted it. Saying she should even be prosecuted. Article content I have written for this publication and others for over a decade on sexual violence. I am a survivor myself. During Me Too, we had this false moment of belief that the culture of victim-blaming or slut-shaming was over, that we had reached a new point of being able to approach the issue of sexual violence from a victim centric approach. Article content Now, when I use that term I get people saying 'innocent until proven guilty.' Yes, absolutely. I am not saying, nor is any advocate, that we should not have a fair judicial process in these matters but is it fair to subject a survivor to five days of aggressive testimony when none of the players save one had to do the same? Is it fair that she is accused of trying to ruin people's lives and deemed a slut and these players are given a free pass? None of this is fair. The system itself is designed — despite recent moves to train judges and increase awareness — to protect people who commit sexual violence and when it comes to sports stars, the public is all too happy to be part of it.
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
What we can all do now after the Hockey Canada verdict: Be BRAVE
One of the most high-profile sexual assault cases in Canadian sports history has ended in acquittals, a stark reminder that the legal system feels less like a path to justice and more like an obstacle course built to exhaust and discredit people who report. So where does that leave us? What can we do after the verdict, outrage and inevitable backlash? We know what comes next: There will be takes declaring the 'death' of #MeToo, despite its founder, Tarana Burke's steady reminder that Me Too is a movement, not a moment. Misinformation and rape myths will be plastered across social media, echoed in comment sections and dropped casually into family group chats. Every phone notification will give you a sinking feeling in your stomach, like a brick thrown into water. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
