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10th Nov 2017

Brendan Gleeson reveals on The Late Late Show that “it’s not just Harvey Weinstein” who abuses power

"I think there will be a sea change."

JOE

Brendan Gleeson

“All the time being at the butt of the joke, it’s bullying in a way and once you put the sexual stuff on top of that, it’s a horror show.”

Brendan Gleeson was on The Late Late Show on Friday night and when asked by Ryan Tubridy what he thought about all the recent revelations in Hollywood, Gleeson said the problem didn’t just stop or start at Harvey Weinstein.

“It’s not just Harvey Weinstein. It’s all over the place where people are in powerful positions. It’s the abuse of power is what it’s about.

“It goes way beyond careers and way beyond sorts of things likes.

“It’s not just the Harvey Weinstein’s or anyone else, it’s part of a currency where people use sexual power plays and also this idea of ‘I can absolutely take your career away from you’ which is not so much that your aspirations won’t happen but more so where do you go from there?

“Do you allow yourself to be beaten down, it’s the abusive power is what it’s about.”

Gleeson stated that he was watching Have I Got News For You earlier in the week and something that Jo Brand said about the situation really stuck with him.

“Where people are insidiously poking at you – say women in a particular job – and there is always the little kind of a dig, poke or putting you in your place, it wears you down.

“All the time being at the butt of the joke, it’s bullying in a way and once you put the sexual stuff on top of that, it’s a horror show.

“I think there will be a sea change. There has to be because first of all, women are getting more power anyway but you don’t want to reproduce it by having women bullying other people around.

“There is an abuse of power that needs to be called out and anything further than that is just criminal,” Gleeson said.

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