As a wave of sexual harassment allegations continues to engulf Hollywood, numerous actors have come under fire for inappropriate and in some cases, disturbing behavior. From Kevin Spacey to Harvey Weinstein, it’s been one after another and this weekend, it’s TV host and producer Ryan Seacrest who finds himself in the spotlight – for all the wrong reasons.
According to a new report from Yahoo!, the former American Idol host has been accused of “inappropriate behavior” by a wardrobe stylist on E! News, which Seacrest hosted from 2006 to 2012. From what we understand, he’s currently under investigation for sexual harassment, but the details of the incident have not been made public yet. Still, the producer denies any and all allegations, releasing the following statement this weekend:
“Recently, someone that worked as a wardrobe stylist for me nearly a decade ago at E! News, came forward with a complaint suggesting I behaved inappropriately toward her. If I made her feel anything but respected, I am truly sorry. I dispute these reckless allegations and I plan to cooperate with any corporate inquiries that may result.”
Continuing on, Seacrest said:
“I treat all my colleagues with kindness, dignity, and understanding, as this is a principle that’s core to who I am. Throughout my 25 years in the entertainment industry, the majority of my co-workers have been women, and I’ve endeavored to foster a positive work environment of mutual respect and courtesy, as that’s how I believe it should be. I’m distraught that anyone or any situation would call that into question. I’m proud of my workplace reputation, and believe my track record will speak for itself. I’m an advocate for women. I will continue to support their voices.”
It’s unclear what, if any damage, this will do to his career, especially since the details haven’t been disclosed just yet. Still, it’s troubling to hear all the same and only adds to the long, long list of allegations that are starting to mount against actors, directors and producers. Aside from Spacey and Weinstein, Sylvester Stallone, Jeffrey Tambor, Brett Ratner, Dustin Hoffman and many more have been thrust into the spotlight recently, showing a disturbing pattern of abuse within Hollywood.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as if there’s any end in sight, either. We don’t imagine Ryan Seacrest will be the last to find himself accused of sexual harassment and with the floodgates having only really just opened, it seems like it’ll be a while yet before the industry is able to clean itself up and figure out how to prevent this type of behavior moving forward.
