Original Catwoman actress Julie Newmar has been hit with backlash after suggesting that men should run Hollywood.
The star famously played the DC character in the 1960s Batman series, and in a new interview, reflected on playing sexualised roles during her career and the male attention it has attracted.
“Luckily, I liked it,” she told The Guardian. “It was good. I’m… not the first in line in the #MeToo class.”
Newmar then elaborated: “I love men too much. I understand them. And the heads of studios, yes, they break a door down, and they do this or they do that. That’s how they act. You think you’re gonna change things? Not a whole lot… And you know what? It works. It works beautifully because men are very good to women.”
When asked about the entertainment industry being run by men, the actress then responded: “It should be. They do it best.”
The #MeToo movement gained prominence in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct against producer Harvey Weinstein, with many survivors coming forward with accusations of abuse in the entertainment industry.
The former head of Miramax Films was one of the most prominent names exposed by the movement, with more than 80 accusations of misconduct levelled against him. Weinstein has denied any and all wrongdoing, but is currently in Rikers Island prison following a rape conviction.
In 2020, he was found guilty of first-degree and third-degree rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison. The New York Court of Appeals later overturned the 2020 conviction, deeming that the judge at the trial gave improper rulings. This included the decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
However, Weinstein remains imprisoned, serving a 16-year sentence following a 2022 California rape conviction.
Last month, Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett reflected on the progress of #MeToo, arguing since then it had been “killed very quickly”.
“There are a lot of people with platforms who are able to speak up with relative safety and say, ‘This has happened to me,’ and the so-called average woman on the street is saying #MeToo. Why does that get shut down?” she said at the Cannes Film Festival.
“What [the movement] revealed is a systemic layer of abuse, not only in this industry but in all industries, and if you don’t identify a problem, you can’t solve the problem.”
She admitted that she is still on film sets that have a minority of women, adding: “I love men, but what happens is the jokes become the same.
“You just have to brace yourself slightly, and I’m used to that, but it just gets boring for everybody when you walk into a homogeneous workplace. I think it has an effect on the work.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.