#TBT To When Seth McFarlane Called Weinstein Out at the Oscars
Seth MacFarlane knew that Harvey Weinstein was harassing young actresses, and he had no issues with saying a joke about it at the 2013 Oscars.
That night, he and Emma Stone took the stage to present the nominees for Best Supporting Actress. That’s when he said: “Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein.”
According to a just-released statement after the video went viral again this week: “It was with this account in mind that, when I hosted the Oscars in 2013, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction,” said MacFarlane. “Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing and anger.”
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) October 11, 2017
The joke came after Jessica Barth, whose Seth worked with in the Ted movies, opened up to him after Harvey harassed her: offering to cast her in a film in exchange for a naked massage.
“So, what would happen if, say, we’re having some champagne and I take my clothes off and you give me a massage?” He allegedly told Jessica.
“There is nothing more abhorrent and indefensible than abuse of power such as this,” Seth wrote on Twitter. “I respect and applaud my friend Jessica and those sharing their stories for their decision to come forward, and for being champions of the truth.”