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Scarlett Johansson calls out James Franco in Women's March speech: 'I want my pin back'

'How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power?'

Clarisse Loughrey
Sunday 21 January 2018 11:47 GMT
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Scarlett Johansson calls out James Franco in Women's March speech

Scarlett Johansson has called out the men who dare to wear the Time’s Up pin in public, claiming to be allies of its movement against sexual harassment and abuse, only to be exposed as alleged abusers themselves.

Returning to the podium after delivering a similarly impassioned speech at last year’s Women’s March, the actor this time turned her voice to the hypocrisy she’d seen in fellow actor James Franco, who accepted an award at the Golden Globes while donning one of the Time’s Up pins and claiming to be an ally to the movement.

During the ceremony, several women came forward with accusations against Franco on Twitter, including some now-deleted statements from Ally Sheedy claiming men like Franco was the reason she left the industry. Several days later, the Los Angeles Times published the allegations of five women accusing him of sexually exploitative behaviour. An attorney acting on behalf of the actor has disputed the allegations.

Johansson, who is one of the original signers of the Time’s Up announcement letter and a major donor to its fund, seemed to reference Franco in her speech. “How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power?” she said. A representative for Johansson later confirmed to the LA Times that she was referring directly to Franco.

“I want my pin back, by the way,” she pointedly added. She then continued to discuss the ideas of abuse of power, consent, and the “rage” that has begun to bubble up inside her – and within so many other women, too.


“No more pandering,” Johansson ended her speech with. “No more feeling guilty about hurting someone’s feelings when something doesn’t feel right for me. I have made a promise to myself to be responsible to my self, that in order to trust my instincts I must first respect them.”

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