Anita Hill to Lead Fight Against Hollywood Sexual Misconduct

Since the accusations against former Weinstein Company chief Harvey Weinstein began to roll in earlier this year, Hollywood in particular has seen a record number of industry mainstays and moguls taken to task for their past behavior.

Dozens of actresses have come forward to recount their own harrowing stories of sexual assault, which in many cases shaped the remainder of their careers; director Peter Jackson recently disclosed that he had been warned by Weinstein’s company that Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino—two women who have leveled accusations against Weinstein—were difficult to work with. “At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us—but in hindsight, I realize that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing,” he said.

In the face of the onslaught, Hollywood appears motivated to make substantive changes, and to do so it’s brought out the big guns: according to NBC News, U.S. attorney Anita Hill will head a special commission of industry leaders designed to get to the root of the problem.

The Hollywood Commission for Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace tapped Hill on Friday to chair the organization, which will work to quell the ongoing climate of sexual misconduct that has defined Hollywood since its inception. Founders include Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy; co-chair of the Nike Foundation Maria Eitel; entertainment lawyer Nina Shaw; venture capitalist Freada Kapor Klein; Ari Emanuel, co-chair of William Morris Endeavor; Bob Iger, chairman and C.E.O. of Disney; and Dawn Hudson, the C.E.O. of the Academy Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. “The Commission will not seek just one solution, but a comprehensive strategy to address the complex and inter-related causes of the problems of parity and power,” Kennedy said in a statement.

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SOURCE: Vanity Fair, Emma Stefansky