Alyssa Milano offers Biden unsolicited advice on how to handle allegations
Actress and notable #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano wrote an op-ed Wednesday attempting to explain her ongoing support for former Vice President Joe Biden despite the developments in the sexual assault allegation from his former Senate staffer, Tara Reade. In a piece titled "Living in the Gray as a Woman" that was published by Deadline, Milano wrote about how the #MeToo movement "changed" her. She
wrote that there are some instances that are obvious: Weinstein and
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She wrote Kavanaugh’s "actions,
told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her
polygraph results), were clearly wrong." He denied the allegations. She wrote that there is a concern that advocates start to see things as black and white. "Except
it’s not always so easy, and living in the gray areas is something
we’re trying to figure out in the world of social media. But here’s
something social media doesn’t afford us– nuance," Milano wrote. "The
world is gray. And as uncomfortable as that makes people, gray is where
the real change happens. Black and white is easy. Gray is the place
women can come together out of the glare of the election and speak our
truths, our doubts, our hopes, our convictions and test them against the
light and the dark," she wrote. She wrote that in an ideal world,
it would be a woman who took on President Trump "instead of an
electoral college which says white men are the people driving the charge
yet again this year." The
former "Charmed" actress insisted that Reade's allegations against
Biden "concern me, deeply," but that Biden is someone "who I can’t
picture doing any of the things of which he’s accused." She went on to offer Biden some advice as to how to handle the allegations going forward. "I’d
advise him to face the allegation head-on, answer every question, and
admit any wrongdoing, and to be the example for all men who face these
kinds of accusations whether founded or not," Milano urged her preferred
candidate. Milano then addressed Reade, who she only referred to
as "his accuser," and how she believed every survivor should "have space
to tell their story" but cautioned her not to be "fodder for the
machine." "Believing women was never about 'Believe all women no
matter what they say,' it was about changing the culture of NOT
believing women by default. It was about ending the patriarchy’s
dangerous drive for self-preservation at all costs, victims be damned,"
Milano continued to explain her dismissal of Reade. In
an interview with Fox News, Reade blasted Milano after she had made an
appearance at the tense Kavanaugh confirmation hearings in support of
his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.
Actress Alyssa Milano watches a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., September 27, 2018. Matt
McClain/Pool via REUTERS - RC13A7C2F350
"I think we need to compare how she responded to
Brett Kavanaugh... quite different than the talking points she [used]
regarding Joe Biden," Reade told Fox News. "She never reached out to me.
I don't really want to amplify her voice because I feel like she
hijacked my narrative for a while and framed it about herself... she
knows nothing about it." Milano "only knows Joe Biden, so she
doesn't know me and has never talked to me. So, how could she possibly
talk about the case?" Reade asked. In response to Milano calling
for "due process" for men accused of sexual assault, Reade said, "she
really doesn't know anything about what happened to me," calling it
"odd" that she would weigh in on an assault claim when she never
attempted to seek information from the accuser. "I don't know what
her role is. She's not really a professional helping women. She was
basically talking about protecting powerful men the last time she made a
statement," Reade said. "It's just the complete opposite of how she
approached Brett Kavanaugh, so it's kind of weird and strange and I
think she's just looking for ways to be relevant." Milano appeared to change her stance on Reade's claims on Monday night after more corroboration surfaced. “I’m
aware of the new developments in Tara Reade’s accusation against Joe
Biden. I want Tara, like every other survivor, to have the space to be
heard and seen without being used as fodder,” Milano tweeted before
writing her op-ed. “I hear and see you, Tara.” Representatives for Milano did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
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