Street Artists have launched #sheknew in protest of Meryl Streep after the actress said she didn’t know Harvey Weinstein was harassing and assaulting women.
Posters showing a 2012 press photo of the two smiling together with a red bar containing the words “She Knew” placed over the actress’ eyes have been appearing across Los Angeles next to the Hollywood Highland Center, 20th Century Fox studio lot and near Streep’s home in Pasadena, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Streep has not yet commented on the posters, which also contain a QR code leading to a Bitcoin address.
Last week, it was revealed that actresses are planning on wearing all black to the 2018 Golden Globes to protest sexual harassment. Streep is expected to be one of those.
The posters come shortly after the Oscar-winning actress defended herself from fellow actress Rose McGowan, who publicly accused Streep of “happily” working with Weinstein for years while remaining silent about his sexual misconduct.
“I wasn’t deliberately silent. I didn’t know,” said Streep, who previously referred to Weinstein as “God” while accepting a Golden Globe in 2012. She has claimed that many people in Hollywood did not know the extent of Weinstein’s behavior.
However, many see these posters as a problem. “She Knew” overlooks the fact that any women wanting to speak out could still lay victim to Weinstein’s manipulation. It demonstrates that society is conditioned to distrust women and that we’d rather point fingers at anyone but those men accountable for their own actions.
https://twitter.com/marioncotilards/status/943227779369328640
https://twitter.com/itsrxbxcx/status/943243713614147584
WTF is this #SheKnew horse crap? Where is #HEknew ???
Blaming women who weren't abused for the actions of abusers? That there is some Grade A gaslighting, my friend.
Let's talk instead about all the men who surely see or hear of abusive behavior, and just normalize it.
— Dina D ☮️🏳️🌈 Pro-vax #BLM #YallmeansALL (@dinad13) December 20, 2017
A right-wing artist in Los Angeles has claimed responsibility for the controversial posters, calling them revenge for the actor’s criticism of Donald Trump.
Sabo admits that he does not know for a fact if Streep knew about Weinstein’s decades of abuse: “I wasn’t sitting in a room with her. I can’t say 100 percent. But I’d say anyone in the [film] industry had a pretty good idea. I think she knew.” He even makes a bold claim that she may have provided Weinstein with the “fresh meat.”
If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visit Rape Crisis or call 0808-802-9999.
