Daily Times

Almost eight months after he was first accused of sexual predation, former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has finally been arrested and charged with raping one woman and forcing another to perform oral sex on him. Dozens of women, including stars like Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, and Lupita Nyong’o have accused Weinstein of harassment or assault over the past several months, and his arrest marks a monumental step forward. And in the wake of this morning’s news, many of the women Weinstein preyed upon shared their feelings of vindication — and for some, disbelief.

Rose McGowan, who revealed in October that Weinstein raped her, appeared on Good Morning America shortly after news of the arrest broke, and said that she was “shocked” by his detention.

“I feel shocked. I would say it’s just so big,” she said on GMA. “I have to admit I didn’t think I would see the day that he would have handcuffs on him. I have a visceral need for him to have handcuffs on.”

She added that she would continue to stand by her fellow accusers. Later, McGowan rejoiced on Twitter, writing, “We got you, Harvey Weinstein, we got you.”

Actress Asia Argento, who previously said that Weinstein raped her at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, also spoke up following his surrender. On Twitter, she wrote, “What took you so long, Harvey?” Argento followed up her initial tweet by posting a video about Weinstein’s arrest, which included a clip of her repeating her allegations in a speech at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Mira Sorvino, whose career was sabotaged by Weinstein after she rejected him, tweeted, “Sending love to all my sisters who stood up against a monster.”

It;s great to see so many women finally getting justice, but the fight against sexual abuse is far from over. Those speaking out against sexual harassment deserve our support.

Published in Daily Times, May 27^th 2018.