Britain’s Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has sounded the alarm that sexual assault and exploitation are still big problems in the country’s media and entertainment industries, warning that institutions are still not doing enough to protect women who speak out.
Nandy’s comments came on Sunday, November 8 after former comedian and actor Russell Brand was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
The minister told the BBC and Sky News in interviews that she could not guarantee such instances were not still taking place in the industry and added she thought sexual assault could still be happening.
“Yes I do and I think hand on heart I can’t say to you as the culture secretary that this is not happening today and indeed if I had to wager, I would say it is,” she told the BBC.
Nandy said women had come to her with accusations of abuse but were often hesitant to confront their bosses because of the risk to their careers and professional prospects.
The entertainment business is particularly prone to exploitation, she said, because so many workers are on short-term contracts, producing enormous power imbalances between employers, influential individuals and junior personnel.
The minister called for better reporting systems and better protection for people who speak out against abuse, saying organisations must take claims seriously and ensure victims are supported.
Brand was found guilty on Thursday 5 November following a four-week trial over allegations from six women pertaining to occurrences between 1999 and 2009. The 51-year-old was convicted of one rape and three counts of sexual assault. He is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, Nov. 9.
The issue has prompted fresh scrutiny of how media outlets deal with complaints against powerful performers and whether people reporting misbehaviour are properly protected.
Nandy also referenced recent events surrounding Channel 4’s reality television program Married at First Sight UK, which was cancelled after a review was launched following severe claims of wrongdoing during filming.
The earlier seasons of the program were deleted from the broadcaster’s streaming platforms in May after a BBC investigation found allegations of rape by two women during production.
The culture secretary is urging media businesses to sign up to the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), an industry organization launched to raise standards, tackle misconduct and provide safer routes for reporting concerns throughout the creative sector.
But the administration was looking at other ways to tackle the situation, she added.
Nandy declared ‘Time’s up’ and called on the media and entertainment industries to take sexual abuse seriously and make a real commitment to protecting workers.
The backlash has only fuelled demands for responsibility in Hollywood, particularly for how women who work with powerful performers and executives are treated.
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