This weekend, Thandie Newton gave a candid interview regarding Hollywood’s current #TimesUp initiative, saying she was excluded from participating due to not being a “hot†or “mainstream†actress. (Newton was sexually abused by a casting director as a teenager, and has since been an outspoken advocate for the industry’s exploitative nature against women.) “I wasn’t going to be at the Oscars this year,†she said, “even though I am having a renaissance in my career.†Asia Argento, one of the first women to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of rape last year, soon got wind of Newton’s remarks, tweeting that this is proof #TimesUp is nothing more than an exclusive club “for Hollywood elites that shuns survivors.â€
Now, enter in a third party: Prominent #TimesUp supporter Jessica Chastain. Chastain tweeted that Argento was indeed invited to the initiative’s first meeting, but she didn’t attend because she was out of town. “It wasn’t called #TimesUp [because] we didn’t have a name. It was just a group of actresses coming together to see how we could support the brave women coming forward and create lasting change,†Chastain tweeted. “I have felt so bad that some feel excluded. I was never asked to join anything, I just came forward to see how I could be of service. No one is unwelcome. The more women that come together, standing shoulder to shoulder, the stronger we are.â€
She added that Argento is one of the “brave†women to thank for birthing #TimesUp in the first place.
Argento has yet to respond to Chastain’s remarks. #TimesUp has raised more than $20 million and has helped over than a thousand victims of workplace misconduct since launching in January.