The internet is upset over Selena Gomez’s answer about why she’s working with Woody Allen

While a growing list of sexual misconduct allegations has sunk many powerful men in Hollywood, one of the accused is still treading water. Woody Allen faced sexual assault accusations in 1992 but is still active and supported in Hollywood. For instance, “Bad Liar” singer Selena Gomez stars in Allen’s latest project — and many feel her reason for working with him is problematic.

In an in-depth interview with Billboard, published on November 30th,Gomez, who was named the magazine’s “Woman of the Year,” was asked if she had considered Allen’s past before signing onto the film. Gomez answered,

"To be honest, I’m not sure how to answer — not because I’m trying to back away from it. [The Harvey Weinstein allegations] actually happened right after I had started [on the movie]. They popped up in the midst of it. And that’s something, yes, I had to face and discuss. I stepped back and thought, 'Wow, the universe works in interesting ways.'"

Allen’s upcoming project is entitled A Rainy Day in New York. The film is supposedly about a middle-aged man who enters into a sexual relationship with a much younger woman, “among other actresses,” as Page Six reported in October.

Many found this to be an uncomfortable subject for Allen to tackle, especially because of the details surrounding the allegations against him. They were brought forward by his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, who claimed he sexually abused her when she was a child.

Gomez received backlash in August when she first joined the film. And now, after reading her wishy-washy answer in the Billboard profile, fans remain frustrated.

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Although she didn’t provide a solid reason for wanting to work with Allen despite the allegations against him, Gomez did share her opinion on the current sexual misconduct firestorm. She told Billboard,

"I definitely feel hopeful. As people speak out, I hope that feels powerful to them, because they deserve to feel that...I’ve known people in my family who’ve gone through those things. I try to let people come to me and open up, to make a safe environment for them to do so."

Holding some, but not others, accountable for the same kind of behavior is not fair for the people who have been hurt by their actions. Let’s stop supporting men who have hurt others as we begin building a more supportive and woman-positive world.