Ellen Pompeo took to Twitter on Thursday to defend herself after remarks she made about Harvey Weinstein’s victims came to light.
The 50-year-old Grey’s Anatomy star tried to explain her original comments by claiming that she had believed the convicted rapist to merely by a sexual harasser at the time.
In her remarks from a July 2018 Q&A session, Pompeo said it took ‘two to tango’ when it came to Weinstein and his accusers.
Sexual assault allegations about the producer first came to public light in October 2017 via a New York Times piece and a subsequent Ronan Farrow exposé published in The New Yorker.
Second try: Ellen Pompeo, 50, defended newly resurfaced comments about women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault in a tweet storm on Thursday; shown in 2019
Pompeo began her tweet storm with a qualified apology over the resurfaced remarks.
‘Hey girls sorry if video clips are upsetting!! Its out of context & it’s too serious a subject to talk about on a platform like this,’ she wrote.
‘People who have been abused or assaulted should seek guidance from a therapist… this is not a healthy place for topics this serious,’ she added, while quoting a fan’s tweet defending her.
Two years ago: The actress’ tone-deaf comments about Weinstein’s crimes were delivered at a Q&A session at Oxford Union in July 2018; Weinstein pictured going to Criminal Court in February in Manhattan
Sorry if offended: Pompeo began her tweet storm with a qualified apology over the resurfaced remarks
Fuzzy timeline: She claimed her comments came before accusations of rape and sexual assault were leveled, but the New York Times began reporting on allegations nine months earlier
Her story: Pompeo clarified she was only speaking about sexual harassment, rather than rape or sexual assault, and she claimed to have been speaking about her own experiences
Blast from the past: The New Yorker followed the Times with allegations of sexual assault and rape five days later on October 10, 2017; shown in 2019
The actress also claimed her panel was before reports of Weinstein’s sexual assaults were widely known.
‘For those who feel offended or are taking this personally this panel was 2 + years ago and it was way before the whole stories of the women came out I Certainly didn’t know he was a rapist at that point … that took shit to a whole different level.’
Pompeo went on to clarify that she was only speaking about sexual harassment, rather than rape or sexual assault, and she claimed to have been speaking about her own experiences.
‘For years before times up women had to put up with harassment and still do on a regular basis …it was just part of the job as it is in a lot or all professions …we couldn’t complain like we can now. If we complained we would be out and the man would stay,’ she continued.
‘&MY way of coping w/ whatever situations I’ve been in is not a comment on how other women handle things… again Thank God we can speak up now but once again assault and harassment are different both bad but different. Not sure of harassment is seen by law enforcement as a crime [sic].’
The way it was: Ellen contextualized her comments by noting that women had no recourse for sexual misconduct in the workplace until recently
Separate crimes: She also reiterated that harassment and assault were different and deserved differing reactions
Turnaround: The actress ended her tweets with an about face as she admitted accusations against Weinstein were first widely reported before her 2018 comments
The actress ended her tweets with an about face as she admitted accusations against Weinstein were first widely reported before her 2018 comments.
‘Okay so I was just told The Times story was out before this but I didn’t read it … I only was really following the story on the news once the trial began.
Jodi Cantor and Megan Twohey of the New York Times detailed sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein in a report from October 5, 2017, followed by a New Yorker report by Ronan Farrow on October 10 detailing sexual assault allegations, nine months prior to Pompeo’s Q&A session.
Guilty: Weinstein was found guilty of two felonies in February and sentenced to 23 years in prison
Pompeo originally faced criticism online Wednesday as a July 2018 clip of her comments on Harvey Weinstein and his accusers — saying it takes ‘two to tango’ — came under scrutiny as the clip went viral.
The 50-year-old Grey’s Anatomy actress did a Q&A session at Oxford Union in which she spoke about the scandal surrounding the producer, who’s currently serving 23 years in his rape conviction in New York, and how the women he preyed upon figured into it.
‘I think we bear some responsibility, not all, but it takes two to tango for sure,’ said Pompeo, who plays Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama. ‘That’s not to blame the victims, that’s just to say … I did go into a room with Harvey Weinstein, I sat at a table with him, I had probably two-and-a-half hours with him.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to Pompeo via her rep for comment on this story.
The latest: Pompeo faced criticism online Wednesday as the July 2018 clip of her comments on Harvey Weinstein and his accusers — saying it takes ‘two to tango’ — came under scrutiny as the clip went viral
Pompeo, who shares daughters Stella, 10, and Sienna, five, and son Eli, three, with husband Chris Ivery, 53, said that Weinstein ‘never said anything inappropriate to’ her and ‘never made any sort of physical advance’ toward her.
The Everett, Massachusetts native added that she ‘wasn’t in the room alone with’ Weinstein, as was the case with many of the women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
‘I had been sent there by an agent in the middle of the daytime,’ she said. ‘I didn’t think there was anything wrong. I wouldn’t have gone into that room at night … but he did nothing inappropriate toward me.’
Pompeo said she wouldn’t have hesitated to fight back if the disgraced film producer had violated her boundaries.
Fall from grace: The producer was once among the most powerful film producers in Hollywood
Outspoken: Pompeo, who plays Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama, is vocal when it comes to politics, gender and social issues
Statement: Pompeo said she wouldn’t have hesitated to fight back if the disgraced film producer had violated her boundaries
‘I would have picked up that glass and smashed him across the side of the face with it,’ she said. ‘So I mean, it’s all what we’re willing to tolerate, and in our self-esteem, and what are we going to put up with, and what are we going to compromise to be liked, to be loved, to be accepted: How bad do we want to be in show business?’
Earlier in the chat, which came less than a year after stories about Weinstein’s behavior surfaced, Pompeo said that the revelations had caused a sea change in Hollywood, as sexual harassment had come under massive scrutiny with Weinstein and a number of other powerful figures exposed amid the MeToo movement.
‘First, men need to understand that they will not get away with it; number one,’ she said. ‘Or women need to understand. I don’t mean to be sexist about it. Everybody is capable of harassment of any kind, right?
Point of view: Pompeo said that women needed to take responsibility ‘for the signals that we put out, for the messages that we put and the way we present ourselves’
Sea change: Pompeo said sexual harassment had come under massive scrutiny with Weinstein and a number of other powerful figures exposed amid the MeToo movement
‘So people need to understand that it won’t be tolerated and then I think people need to be educated about it.
She said that women needed to take responsibility ‘for the signals that we put out, for the messages that we put and the way we present ourselves.’
She added: I’m not ashamed to say it, as an actor, you certainly, certainly, go into the room with the idea that this director needs to fall in love with me to give me this part. And so, as women, we flirt.’
Reaction: On social media, a number of users had fiery criticism for the message they felt Pompeo was sending with her comments on the disgraced Hollywood producer
On social media, a number of users had fiery criticism for the message they felt Pompeo was sending with her comments on the disgraced Hollywood producer.
One user wrote: “it takes two to tango”. “it’s all about what we’re willing to tolerate”. yeah everyone thinks they would stop an abuser getting to them, but then you find yourself in that situation and it is NOT the same. believe women. believe survivors.’
Another said that the actress was victim ‘blaming thru this entire video & is acting like it’s the victims fault & as if the victim wanted it.’
One social media user pointed out the remarks framed against the dozens of stories regarding Weinstein’s predatory behavior as a top Hollywood player for decades.
‘She really said that sexual harassment “takes two to tango” and then she proceeded to say how she wasn’t victim blaming,’ the user wrote.
While some fans of the actress pointed to her track record of social consciousness and activism, others weren’t so quick to dismiss the comments as a misunderstanding.
‘I’m can’t believe people are saying it’s a mistake and she doesn’t deserve the hate but she literally said that survivor of sexual assaults are as much as fault as the predators “it takes two to tango,”‘ the user wrote. ‘That’s just wrong and disgusting.’