The day after the Golden Globes, Lainey made a big deal about Brie Larson’s coldness towards Casey Affleck when she was presenting him with the Globe for Best Actor in a Drama. It honestly didn’t register with me while I was watching the Globes that Brie didn’t embrace him or do much besides say “Congratulations” and hand him his award. But Lainey was right – there was a coldness there, and Brie has a history of sticking up for victims of abuse, harassment and violence. So what happens during this awards season, with Brie set to present a series of awards to obvious-frontrunner Casey Affleck? The same Casey Affleck who was accused of sexual harassment by two women and is now insulated by white male privilege? Well, sources claim Brie is going to do or say something, much like Constance Wu did this week.
Sources say that “Room” Oscar winner Brie Larson — who’s an advocate for sexual assault survivors — could be planning on addressing the issue at the SAG Awards. Larson presented “Manchester by the Sea” star Casey Affleck with a best actor award at the Golden Globes, and seemed frosty when she gave out the honor.
“Her ‘Do not touch me’ attitude is so on the nose,” tweeted one viewer, while another posted, “SAG & Academy Awards pls don’t make Brie Larson give Casey Affleck an award again.”
At last year’s Oscars, Larson emotionally hugged sexual-assault victims onstage with Lady Gaga.
A source told Page Six, “Brie feels really guilty about the situation” of handing Affleck an award. “She’s not going to call him out, but she is thinking about saying something about sexual assault at the SAG Awards. There have been discussions with anti-sexual-assault groups she has ties to.”
But another source close to the actress told us she has no such plans. “It’s just not how it works. When you present an award, you don’t get to make a speech . . . you just read off the nominees and winners.” A rep for Larson commented, “There is no truth to this whatsoever.”
If she does or says something, great. And if not, I wouldn’t be surprised. I don’t like the idea that it’s her responsibility to call out Casey Affleck in the middle of an awards show. I don’t like the idea that the onus is all on her. What if the onus was on Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Kenneth Lonergan, and all of the dudes who produced the film and are waging Casey’s brutally effective Oscar campaign? What if we expected THEM to say something?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Please let this happen.
She’ll be blacklisted if she does. Even now Polanski and Woody Allen jokes by award show hosts are no gos. Hosts can joke about Charlie Sheens drugging and Mel Gibsons anti semitism but can not bring up the domestic violence. Bill Cosby and Chris Brown are of course fair game because “reasons” but I dont care enough to defend them. Anyway, it would help Caseys campaign to be publicly depicted as the victim of a “mouthy FeminazI”.
@Ramona, yeah this. She will be blacklisted if she takes a shot so she needs to think about this. Cosby and Breezy are fair game because of racism let’s call it what it is.
Hollywood loves these come-back stories from talented actors coming out of the family shadow (Ben’s) to stand on their own. He is going to win.
He also is doing some rebranding.
@african sun — “Cosby and Breezy are fair game because of racism? ” Seriously? How about non-stop d-bag behavior by Brown… i mean NON STOP. He’d fall off the radar if he could shut his mouth, accept responsibility, and stop WHINING that his assault on Rhianna was years ago, and everybody should just get over it. Cosby? Please… how many women now have come forward? I GUARANTEE that if, say, Matt Damon had 20+ woman accusing him of sexual assault, there would be some BIG TIME hate headed his way.
@Catfood, woah you need to relax and read my comment in detail. More than one woman has come forward about Casey but both women settled yet he’s sweeping awards, getting magazine covers and has new roles underway so doesn’t seem like it is affecting his career much.
As much as i want it to happen, why does it have to be Brie Larson? Why is it always a woman that has to call out this type of disgusting behavior? It makes me sad thinking that this might ruin her from a career standpoint but I know personally that it sickens her to see Casey get all this attention. I don’t know how to feel about it. I love Brie and wish more women in Hollywood were like her. I just wish there was more pressure on the guys (especially the ones backing Casey) to come out and take a stance.
It shouldn’t have to be it yet again it’s women that think of the larger picture rather than awards. We should hold the Affleck/Damon responsible because we know their influence is what’s stopping people from saying anything. It’s gross and I’m beyond done with them. It’s not Brie’s job but I’m happy that she had the reaction she did. Room clearly had a huge impact on her
Because Bro Code. Plus, Casey has endless money to fight a slander case against anyone that calls him out. Especially if any of the harassment suits against him settle out of court and there is no conviction against him.
All women could ~make a statement~ about Casey by refusing to vote for his performance but they don’t seem to really care, do they? He is winning all awards easily.
I would love fo Brie to say something about it, but also I wouldn’t blame her if she doesn’t.
Same. I just don’t see it happening.
I would like to say that I am very proud that there people who stand for something and not fall for anything. I am extremely grateful for Constance Wu for speaking out about the sexual assault deviance in the world of “WHITE MALE PRIVILEGE” and their “dirty work”. Therefore, I am pleasantly aware that Brie Larson feels the same way and I am very proud that she stood for something that is very powerful at an excruciating time in anyone lives as they have been in this terrible crime.
So I would say this, I think Brie Larson should do the same thing with Casey Affleck at the Golden Globe Awards at any of the Award shows ESPECIALLY Academy Awards. Cold shoulders are the best insult to anyone who has done wrong.
Yes, if she does the same thing at the SAG and the Academy awards as she did at the Globes it will be abundantly clear how she feels. If she does more we probably should make sure to go to each and every future project of hers.
@wilma, flawless comment. Sometimes you can say a lot more by saying nothing. Cold shoulder, done.
She may not get to make a speech but a well-placed pin or badge or something on her clothing might at least give her a sense of having made her feelings known.
It’s mind-blowing to think that she could suffer massive career setbacks for speaking up, but that Casey Affleck has settled with two accusers out of court and not felt so much as a bump in the road.
Casey didn’t rape anyone, unlike Nate Parker, and he didn’t wage a smear campaign against his alleged victims that resulted in them commiting suicide. To compare the two is disengenuos and frankly a discredit to Nate’s victim. Also, Casey settled out of court- we don’t know whether he’s guilty or his lawyers said it would be cheaper than litigating. Is sexual harassment wrong and prevalent and did he most likely do something or many things wrong? Of course and sure, I personally believe he harassed those women, but sexual harassment is a workplace offense that deserves punishment, not a violent crime. Blaming the difference in the reaction on white male privilege is not accurate in this instance- white men have lots of privilege moments but if you cry wolf over everything, it loses its bite. This is an instance where the offenses are astronomically different.
As far as Trump goes, in my broad range of social circle, you know who voted for him? A gay man, a Hispanic man (Mexican origin) whose parents are immigrants, two Hispanic women (both Mexican origin), and a mixed race, half-African American man whose mother is an immigrant. You know who DIDN’T vote for him? My white, middle class, usually faithful republican inlaws (MIL voted Hillary, FIL voted either Hillary or Gary Johnson). My white, middle class, college educated husband didn’t vote for him. My white, elderly, wealthy boss and her white, elderly, wealthy, Republican-leaning husband didn’t vote for him. Trump surprisingly appealed to a lot of people- for reasons I can never begin to understand- but the blame for him isn’t entirely on white men. You don’t get to the presidency with white men alone voting for you- even when your path to the presidency is losing the popular vote and winning by 80,000 votes in the ridiculous Electoral College system.
You sound so damn white and offended.
Do you think that your answer is suitable ? She presented facts and your answer is “typical Trump”.
Yup saying there’s a difference between rape and sexual harassment makes me white and offended. In all honesty, I think if Nate Parker’s victim hadn’t committed suicide, even the backlash against him may have been able to be pushed under the rug by Hollywood. The news of her suicide is what put the final nail in that Oscar campaign. Not seeing white privilege as the deciding difference in the reactions to these two very specific instances doesn’t make me white and offended, it means I can look at two different scenarios and judge them for their merits.
Saying that if people don’t want Trump or people like Trump to continue in power means you have to recognize and figure out what about him appealed to non-white voters who seemingly should have voted against him again doesn’t make me white and offended, it means I’m rational and looking at the facts I have in front of me.
@AB but are those really facts or anecdotal facts? Because every statistics that you read on Trump voters say the opposite. Does that mean that ALL white people voted for him and no non white people did? Of course not! Specially attending the fact that in most of the democratic developed countries Trump wouldn’t have won since he didn’t have the biggest number of votes…
@Somegirl
So you assume that you believe he did harassed those women and then you say “you cry wolf over everything”??
A greater wrong doesn’t make a wrong right. He should answer for this as other had to.
And no, it shouldn’t be Brie Larson having to talk about it. It should be Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Kenneth Lonergan and connected to him! They should be asked about this in every damn interview.
@wilma
Apologies for derailing the conversation on this article by mixing up my tabs- that was not at all my intention.
As far as Brie goes, I think it’s unfair to expect her to damage her career to call Casey out. If someone is going to do it, it should in all fairness be one of the men who helped him get where he is in the first place. Or a more established person than Brie who could withstand the backlash.
Oh, you : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/who-voted-for-donald-trump-white-men-and-women-most-responsible-for-new-president-elect-voting-data-a7407996.html
While I disagree with anyone from marginalized demographic who voted for Trump, it needs to be said that none of those groups is a monolith. Furthermore, their numbers were very low compared to the majority of people who did, which by and large, were white citizens. If marginalized communities had a fraction of the power and influence that people like to pretend we have, we would not be marginalized.
@renee2
I completely agree that all minority groups aren’t monoliths, just as all whites aren’t. That was pretty much my point- some people voted outside their best interests because the man appealed to something in them. I pretty much consider all women who voted for him in the group of people who voted against themselves. My point was it wasn’t entirely on white men, and if democrats want to win power, people should try to understand why some people of color and any woman voted for him, because seriously, WHY? And also, how to combat those reasons at the next election.
Who’s talking about trump and or nate parker? We’re talking about brie potentially taking a stance on sexual assault and harassment.
@Margo The article talks about Trump and Nate Parker. That’s why I brought it up.
Except that the article doesn’t mention Trump or Parker and neither did the comments before you.
Get out of your alternative reality.
@somegirl
You summed it up perfectly (even if it veered a little off-topic). Nate Parker & Trump may not have been brought up (yet), but inevitably they *are*, so you’re just ahead it.
@minime
I was saying that I felt that claiming white male privilege as the difference between Casey and Nate’s offenses in this one particular instance is disingenuous. White male privilege exists, just plain male privilege exists; there’s a very real difference between the nature of their offenses in this instance and I happen to believe that is why in this instance the reaction was different. That was entirely my point. Obviously if guilty Casey deserves punishment and critic for his actions, but this is Hollywood and they typically push things under the rug. I think Nate got slammed because it was rape AND his victim committed suicide, not because he was African American. I think Casey is getting away without much critic because he’s a male in Hollywood. Do you see the difference?
@wilma
Sorry, I’ve a sick infant and two hours sleep. The linked article in this article goes into detail about the Nate Parker comparison and Trump. I read them both simultaneously and commented on the wrong one.
Somegirl, I thought that yours was a thoughtful post that contributed to the debate.
Somegirl I want to say I mostly agree with you, but the big big difference here comes from the way the press and the industry have treated Parker and Affleck. Parker got asked about it in pretty much every press even he went to, while no one has barely touched the subject with Affleck (I suspect it’s been a requirement of his PR team and the press has agreed so they can have him in some way). I don’t believe this is white privilege, honestly, in this particular case. I think in Hollywood there’s rampant sexual harassment anyway, so they probably don’t want to open the can of worms.
But didn’t Nate bring it up himself, trying to get ahead of things, and messed up colossally? When he started talking about it, of course the media picked it up.
Reminds me of the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Super Bowl incident. Reporters continued asking Janet about nipplegate a year afterwards. While nobody asked Justin about it
It would be awesome if she did, but I really hope this is leaked from her or someone bts at the SAGS. If it’s just tabloid speculation based on the Globes, people will be disappointed now if she doesn’t say something, which isn’t fair and just distracts from the actual issue.
I dont think it is Brie’s cross to bear but if she did actually do something that would be great. We see a lot of celebs supporting causes but they hardly walk their talk.
This is obviously not to take away from the fact that Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and the director are absolute sh*t stains. I have not ever and will not ever pay to see MBTS, no amount of good acting or art can make up for what the girls have to go through to see such a man being awarded in an international stage.
I thought she was cold when she handed him the award. Just rewatching it on youtube and she didn’t touch him at all. Love brie larson even more then I thought I could. She doesn’t even need to say anything. Every time she hands him an award she’ll just glare at him. But seriously I hope he stops getting awards. Hes such a smug punk a $$.
If she did that, it would be the end of her career. I’ll settle for her looking frosty when she hands him the Oscar (sigh).
This will never happen. If Brie really is so disgusted with Affleck, as everyone should be, she should just decline to present the award, that would speak volumes.
A well-timed stomach flu would work nicely.
Wow, I love her for this. But no, this shouldn’t be on her and I wouldn’t blame her for not doing it. A cold demeanor when presenting is enough and speaks volumes anyways. I really do hate Damon and Ben for shielding him however.
She doesn’t have to say anything. Her demeanor around him says enough. And, I like her so much more now for it.
Her dress is gorgeous.
I don’t think we have reached the point where doing that would be a good idea whether Brie is in Hollywood or my country.
She would be sacrificing her career. It’s really sad but it’s right to say something but it’s one of the things were the woman would be crucified and he would look like he was attacked, especially he has not been convicted of a crime.
Nightmare.
The fact that Casey has yet to suffer any consequences for his lawsuits should tell you all that you need to know. He has his brother and Matt Damon going to bat for him publicly. Amazon Studios and Jeff Bezos want to win at least one Oscar so they are behind him as well. I posted this upthread but women should comprise at least half of most of these voting bodies. They don’t have to vote for him if they want to make a statement. I suspect many of them still are. If Brie wants to say something, that’s on her, but I think it’s a waste of time. Action –rejecting him and his performance– is a stronger statement IMO.
I don’t think she will. At least not directly towards him. Hollywood isn’t always kind to women and she probably knows future work could be jeopardized if she says anything.
I doubt her profile is high enough to make a difference.
I like to be idealistic and hope that women are now strong enough to protect one another, or a strong enough consumer base that Brie won’t get blacklisted because Hollywood cannot afford to. But I think we should shame Matt Damon into speaking up, because he more than any of the trio of men mentioned has traded on his humanitarian image and is the father of 4 girls. Having him speak up and say he will not tolerate this even if the person is his friend will send a strong message that Casey’s actions are inexcusable, that you cannot treat female colleagues with disrespect and get away with an Oscar. Having Matt speak up would really change the tide because of his stature and unfortunately because a white man speaking against one of his own will definitely get more attention than a woman speaking up.
A lot of truth nuggets in this comment but it’s as likely as water not existing on Earth. That’s his best friend’s brother.
Men are good at closing ranks and sticking together for whatever end goal they have. Ben and Matt seem to have decided Casey deserves this Oscar and they will do whatever it takes to protect him 100%
Why are you guys so sentimental…I don’t know if he did or didn’t….if he did shame on him….but listen art doesn’t have anything to do with character….I have watched Manchester by the sea and he was very good in it…so he deserves his awards…but if he did it he deserves to be punished too…