Me Too

Explaining My TYT Absence
For TYT viewers who’ve watched me for two years, you’ve heard me say “I gotta keep it real” thousands of times. In that spirit, I’ve chosen to engage in radical transparency about a disturbing situation that’s been brewing in my life for months. This is an important time for women and male victims of sexual violation, and I commend the immense courage it takes for them to come forward. As I relate the following, it is with mindfulness that our culture needs to overcome toxic masculinity, and move aggressively toward equality and non-violence. I also want to emphasize that one incident should not change the fact that victims deserve our help and belief.
It came to my attention in June that a consensual sexual encounter I had
was being portrayed in gossip as something else. Out of respect for the woman at the center of this story- whom I will not name without her consent- I chose not to escalate the situation, and foolishly stayed silent in hopes that it would go away.
If we are learning anything in the current landscape, it is that silence that serves no one.
I have tremendous respect for women, and believe completely that consent must be affirmative and ongoing throughout sexual intimacy. We are responsible for checking in with our sexual partners throughout to see if they are still feeling safe, happy, and “into it.” No matter how the event begins, if we notice a change in our partner’s enthusiasm we need to stop immediately if they’re not feeling one hundred percent comfortable.
During my encounter with the woman in question, I followed this principle completely. The woman in question and another woman in our group of friends (it was me and three other people) began kissing and touching each other in a Jacuzzi, so I left them and went to bed. Some time after that, the man in the group woke me up to show that said woman had come to my bed with the other woman. They were having oral sex with one another, and I was asked to participate. I have written statements from the other two people in the room confirming that they heard me ask the woman receiving oral sex if she was Ok and if I could approach her intimately- and most importantly, heard her consent. During the night we had a few beers, but no one was drunk.
Eventually we paired off, and I was directly intimate with this woman. During foreplay, she made a sound that made me question whether she was still happy with what was going on. I stopped immediately, and she confessed that she had grown distressed about the impact of our intimacy on her marriage. I immediately ended the intimacy and requested that we sit up and talk. We did not have sexual penetration. We spent the next few hours talking, first in the hotel room and then moving to the lobby where we remained, talking and engaging in nonsexual affection, into the morning. She was sitting on my lap with her arm wrapped around me for much of this period as we talked. Between 5–6am, we both went to sleep and I woke up soon after to get ready to head to the airport and fly home.
The next morning, the woman contacted me on Facebook, saying: “Thanks for sacrificing sleep to talk to me last night. I really appreciate it.” This was in reference to us staying up talking in the hotel lobby. The following day, she asked via Facebook: “So when do you want me in New York?” I have numerous screenshots of our subsequent conversations, all showing that her tone and attitude toward me did not change after our night at the hotel. There was never a hint of dismay, hurt, or fear of me. If anything, she expressed more interest, asking to visit and explore our relationship. She flew to New York, during which time we were intimate. However, after I expressed that my goal of having children would make a relationship impossible (she said she didn’t want them) and me having to calm her down later in the week because she had drank too much (I have witnesses who can confirm), her attitude changed abruptly.
She flew home and told me she no longer wanted to see me- which I respected. I offered to talk so we could have proper closure, but she declined. Soon after her return home, I was advised that she had changed her depiction of events in May, and had begun telling friends that she was starting to remember things differently. Not wanting to disrupt any reconciliation she might be trying to affect with her husband, I let it go- something I deeply regret. My instinct was to approach her because I was horrified if a woman thought I’d taken advantage of her, but the friend that told me about her allegation talked me out of it for fear that the woman would be upset she told me. Because I had sought and received her affirmative consent at every opportunity, it never occurred to me that the situation could take a dark turn.
In recent days, I’ve learned that this woman and a group of others with a vendetta against me for unrelated reasons have been targeting my professional colleagues and plotting to try and “take me down.” Their plotting got so in-depth—and frankly irrational—that theories were posed suggesting since I worked on Bill O’Reilly’s floor at Fox News eight years ago—for four months—they should find women I worked with there to come forward. There was also talk about digging into my college days. There was also talk about asking women about their encounters with me that I’ve never even met. There was also false stories told by one person in particular—with a proven track record of lying—about her asking for a piece of paper, and me opening the door naked and handing it to her. This did not happen.
Since I have nothing to hide, I decided to proactively inform my bosses at The Young Turks of the situation. This was not easy but I believe the truth always wins out. Cenk Uygur is the first media figure that truly gave me a chance. Out of respect for that, I wanted him to know the truth and not be blindsided by any evolution in this situation. In response, TYT did what I view to be the correct thing: they immediately placed me on administrative leave and hired an outside investigator. I won’t get into details of the investigation, but I’m 100 percent confident that it will confirm everything I’ve shared here to be truthful. I am also 100 percent confident that if people seek to speak to women I currently work with or have worked with in the past, they would describe professional and supportive behavior.
If this woman chooses to come forward publicly, I will defend myself and provide evidence of my innocence. I hope it doesn’t come to that. I chose to come out proactively because I have the truth on my side and have nothing to hide. Having to relay the details of this night is embarrassing—I’m not proud of some of what took place and have learned a lot from this. I hope viewers and progressive figures who care about facts—and don’t simply latch onto gossip and rumors spread by people who haven’t sought and confirmed the facts—will wait until the investigation concludes and my innocence is proven. If anybody follows and believes in me, you know I care about the truth first and foremost. Plainly put: I am telling the truth.
Sincerely,
Jordan Chariton

Melanie Martinez, who appeared as a finalist on The Voice in 2012, has adamantly denied an accusation of sexual assault and rape by friend and fellow aspiring musician Timothy Heller. The shocking addition to the flood of stories regarding sexual impropriety in Hollywood, Washington and beyond began on Monday (Dec. 4) when Heller posted a lengthy tweet in which she described her alleged assault at the hands of someone she described as a close friend, later revealing it to be Martinez.

Early Tuesday morning (Dec. 5) Martinez wrote back, categorically denying Heller's claim. 

John Oliver has confronted Dustin Hoffman in a tense public discussion about allegations of sexual harassment that have been made against the actor.

Hoffman defended himself after Anna Graham Hunter alleged he groped her on a film set when she was 17, in 1985.

The actor questioned Ms Graham Hunter's claims, asking Oliver: "Do you believe this stuff that you're reading?"

Hoffman said the HBO talk show host was not keeping an "open mind" and was unquestionably believing the accusers.

"I believe what she wrote, yes," Oliver replied. "Because there's no point in her lying."

The actor countered: "Well, there's a point in her not bringing it up for 40 years."

Oliver was hosting a panel discussion in New York to mark the 20th anniversary of Hoffman's film Wag The Dog.

The women and men who have broken their silence span all races, all income classes, all occupations and virtually all corners of the globe. They might labor in California fields, or behind the front desk at New York City's regal Plaza Hotel, or in the European Parliament. They're part of a movement that has no formal name. But now they have a voice.

This was the great unleashing that turned the #MeToo hashtag into a rallying cry. The phrase was first used more than a decade ago by social activist Tarana Burke as part of her work building solidarity among young survivors of harassment and assault. A friend of the actor Alyssa Milano sent her a screenshot of the phrase, and Milano, almost on a whim, tweeted it out on Oct. 15. "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet," she wrote, and then went to sleep. She woke up the next day to find that more than 30,000 people had used #MeToo. Milano burst into tears.

Those who are often most vulnerable in society—immigrants, people of color, people with disabilities, low-income workers and LGBTQ people—described many types of dread. If they raised their voices, would they be fired? Would their communities turn against them? Would they be killed? According to a 2015 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 47% of transgender people report being sexually assaulted at some point in their lives, both in and out of the workplace.

The accused were both Democrats and Republicans, but the consequences thus far have been limited—and often filtered through a partisan lens. In politics, at least, what constitutes disqualifying behavior seemed to depend not on your actions but on the allegiance of your tribe. In the 1990s, feminists stood up for accused abuser Bill Clinton instead of his ­accusers—a move many are belatedly regretting as the national conversation prompts a re-evaluation of the claims against the former President. And despite the allegations against Moore, both ­President Trump and the Republican National Committee support him.

That political divide was revealed in the TIME/SurveyMonkey poll, which found that Republicans were significantly more likely to excuse sexual misdeeds in their own party. The survey found that while a majority of Republicans and Democrats agree that a Democratic Congressman accused of sexual harassment should resign (71% and 74% respectively), when the accused offender was in the GOP, only 54% of Republicans would demand a resignation (compared to 82% of Democrats).

We're still at the bomb-throwing point of this revolution, a reactive stage at which nuance can go into hiding. But while anger can start a revolution, in its most raw and feral form it can't negotiate the more delicate dance steps needed for true social change. Private conversations, which can't be legislated or enforced, are essential.

Norms evolve, and it's long past time for any culture to view harassment as acceptable. But there's a great deal at stake in how we assess these new boundaries—for women and men together. We can and should police criminal acts and discourage inappropriate, destructive behavior.

At least we've started asking the right questions. Ones that seem alarmingly basic in hindsight: "What if we did complain?" proposes Megyn Kelly. "What if we didn't whine, but we spoke our truth in our strongest voices and insisted that those around us did better? What if that worked to change reality right now?" Kelly acknowledges that this still feels more like a promise than a certainty. But for the moment, the world is listening.

At least we've started asking the right questions. Ones that seem alarmingly basic in hindsight: "What if we did complain?" proposes Megyn Kelly. "What if we didn't whine, but we spoke our truth in our strongest voices and insisted that those around us did better? What if that worked to change reality right now?" Kelly acknowledges that this still feels more like a promise than a certainty. But for the moment, the world is listening.