Groundbreaking journalism that exposed decades-old accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault
beginning with Harvey Weinstein has ended the careers of a growing list of powerful Hollywood men. In most cases, the only sympathy went toward women (and a few men) who were forced to swallow the shame of sordid deeds kept secret for years until they courageously came forward.
As journos look for the next men to expose, some have wondered how far all this will go, or what happens when one of those men is adamant he didn't do it. After all, few of these stories have been accompanied by police reports, DNA evidence or criminal prosecutions.
After a storied 50-year career as actor and producer that includes two Oscars,
Michael Douglas finds himself accused of something tawdry he says he didn't do: masturbate in front of a former employee. Noticing that too many of the recent stories could be best described as She Said, He's Gone, Douglas was uncomfortable waiting to be the villain in a narrative crafted by either
The Hollywood Reporter or
Variety, two publications he said have reached out to possibly publish allegations involving an employee claiming something happened over 30 years ago, which he vehemently denies.
Even though he understands he is inviting scrutiny by volunteering details that could harm his career if other women come forward with more accusations, Douglas felt strongly enough that he would prefer to have some control over the narrative that he asked to tell Deadline his story. The accusation story most likely will follow elsewhere, but in this moment of "she said, he said" trial by journalism, it was never specified whose version had to be first. So here, Douglas states his case.
Comment: Don't suppose there will be any forthcoming legislation or attempts to stem the tide of government sponsored drug trafficking: