Column: The bravery of Jennifer Siebel Newsom facing Harvey Weinstein — and facing us all
It is rare that I come across an issue that I cannot write a column about. Today, I am compelled to write about an issue that has gone largely unsung: it involves two words, “bravery” and “Harvey Weinstein,” and I find myself unable to say anything about it.
I cannot and do not write about the bravery of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who bravely stood up to powerful men who had subjected her to horrific, sexist behavior over a period of more than 20 years with little more than a whimper.
I cannot and do not write about the bravery of Weinstein, who for all the women who have spoken out against him (and for this column, I have chosen Jennifer Siebel Newsom as my hero), has done absolutely nothing to be held accountable.
And I cannot and do not write about all the women who have been victimized by Weinstein, including our dear friend, actor Ashley Judd, whose life was completely shattered by Weinstein.
But one thing I will write about is the bravery of Jennifer Siebel Newsom. That is enough to give me sufficient motivation to write about it.
I had been planning to write this column in the fall, after Weinstein’s trial ended, for some time. But I have not been able to ignore the issue of bullying, no matter how hard I have tried and try again.
I have tried to avoid writing about it, because the world is not ready for a woman like Jennifer Siebel Newsom to speak openly about her victimization. But this woman is a survivor, and her courage is undeniable, even in the midst of public and media scrutiny.
In a press conference last month, Newsom detailed what she described as a series of years of abuse, beginning when she was 17 and then escalating over the years to when she was in her 30s. And as Newsom recounted what she had gone through, she began to cry. Eventually, Newsom was able to get through her
