Cameron Diaz applauds Netflix for having protocols in place that greatly benefit women on set

Cameron Diaz’s on-screen comeback was an unexpected gift to fans. Her Netflix film, aptly titled Back in Action opposite Jamie Foxx, didn’t just shock us — the comeback surprised her too, particularly when she saw the safety measures Netflix has implemented to prevent inappropriate workplace behavior.

Diaz last appeared on screen in the 2014 film Annie, after which she quietly retired to focus on her growing family with Good Charlotte’s lead guitarist, Benji Madden. Now a mother of two, she described her decision to return to acting as an attempt to “reclaim her life.” In the years since her departure, however, the industry she’s been a part of since dazzling audiences opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask has undergone seismic shifts — particularly with the #MeToo movement, which brought down Harvey Weinstein, whom Diaz worked with on Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York.

In an appearance on Netflix’s in-house podcast, Diaz reflected on those times with a sour note, saying, “There was always just that one guy, you know, on set, that you were like, ‘God, here he comes again.’ There were always layers and layers of inappropriateness that you just kind of had to put up with. As women, you just had to like [laugh it off].” Fortunately, things have changed. These days, there are even the often-discussed on-set intimacy coordinators to ensure actors understand each other’s boundaries during the filming of love scenes.

It doesn’t end there. Diaz shared that Netflix had an HR representative approach her before shooting to explain what constitutes inappropriate behavior and inform her of an anonymous hotline to report any issues. Diaz confessed that up until that point, she had never in her career as an actor felt that level of safety as a woman in the industry. Diaz applauded these developments, calling them “amazing.”

Netflix itself has come a long way to reach this point. Kevin Spacey, one of the initial stars of Netflix’s foray into original content — a move that flipped the industry on its head — ended up on the wrong end of multiple accusations of sexual harassment on the set of House of Cards. And it’s clear that there was no real protection for employees at that time, because those allegations never went beyond mere accusations for Spacey. But Netflix learned from the experience, and even though Spacey is still going around taking credit for the company’s success, claiming he “put them on the map,” it’s clear Netflix has severed all ties with the actor and is working to learn from its mistakes.

To Netflix’s credit, actors and crew in their scripted productions now clearly feel safe on set. The reality department, on the other hand, might still have some work to do. That being said, it’s quite sad that an actor of Diaz’s stature is only now feeling safe on set. It’s a shame how rampant and normalized harassment and boundary-crossing had been (and in some cases still are) in the entertainment industry; however, if there’s a lesson to take from Netflix, it’s that it’s never too late to change.

And for fans hoping that these industry improvements mean Diaz is back for good — hold your horses. According to Empire, Diaz is still unsure about whether she’s truly back. She said, “I’m not defining anything. I’m just open to whatever makes sense for me and my family at any given moment.”