Fantastic Beasts star Ezra Miller shared his own #MeToo story, talked “monsters” in Hollywood

Dozens and dozens of women have come forward in the last couple of years to share their #MeToo stories, especially women in Hollywood, and an increasing number of men have begun to speak up about their experiences, too. The latest is actor Ezra Miller, who plays Credence Barebone in Fantastic Beasts.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor mentioned an experience of sexual misconduct in which a director and a producer, whom he did not name, gave him wine, even though he was under 21. It wasn’t until later that he realized he didn’t have to put up with this treatment just to make it in show biz.

 "They gave me wine and I was underaged," Miller said. "They were like, 'Hey, want to be in our movie about gay revolution?' And I was like, 'No, you guys are monsters.'"

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn-qBLBlOZi

Then, when the #MeToo movement came around, Miller realized there were other people who wanted to speak out and stand up for what was right.

“It’s a great fuckin’ age of being like, ‘You know what? That shit’s unacceptable,’ and it’s amazing for a lot of us to watch,” Miller told THR. “‘Cause, like, we all knew it was unacceptable when we fucking survived it. That’s what Hollywood is. I thought we all knew we were sex workers.”

Miller’s words seem to echo what a lot of stars have said about sexual assault in Hollywood—that they felt they had to endure it, and that it happened to everyone. But just because that kind of behavior was and is rampant, doesn’t make it right. There’s still a long way to go, but people like Miller sharing their stories is the way progress is made.

In or out of Hollywood, sexual misconduct is never okay. Good for Miller for standing up for himself and for sharing his own story, which is no easy task.