Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, has called for Ryan Seacrest to be dropped from TV coverage of the Oscars’ red carpet, in the wake of the sexual harassment allegations against him from his former stylist.
Speaking to Variety, Burke said that Seacrest should be removed from E!’s Oscars’ broadcast to avoid pressure on female celebrities over whether to avoid him or not. “They really shouldn’t send him [to the Oscars],” Burke said. “We shouldn’t have to make those choices of, ‘Do we or don’t we?’”
“This is not about his guilt or innocence,” Burke added. “It’s about there being an accusation that’s alive, and until they sort it out, it’s really on E! News and shouldn’t be on us … It will let us know where they stand in terms of how respectful E! News is of this issue – and of women.”
Seacrest, who began hosting E!’s Live from the Red Carpet in 2006, has been accused by stylist Suzie Hardy of aggressive sexual advances, groping and sexual molesting, including grabbing her vagina and rubbing against her with an erection, while the pair both worked for E! News.
Seacrest has denied the accusations, going public with them in November, calling them “reckless”, and also responding in Variety with a guest column entitled What Happened After I Was Wrongly Accused of Harassment. An investigation by an “outside counsel” on behalf of E! reported that there was “insufficient evidence to support the claims against Seacrest and therefore could not be substantiated”.
Burke, who attended the Golden Globes in January as the guest of Michelle Williams, also commented that she had been told by a number of people at their relief at Harvey Weinstein’s absence from the 2018 Oscars. “I have heard from actresses who’ve said, ‘You don’t understand how strange it is that he’s not here because [Weinstein] was ever-present.’ They were expressing a sense of relief at not having to see him and not having to pretend anymore. It feels like the veil has lifted.”
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