The #MeToo Movement

Tarana Burke, a social activist and community organizer, began using the phrase "Me Too" on Myspace to promote "empowerment through empathy" among women of color who had been sexually abused. Burke, a survivor herself, was inspired to use the phrase after being unable to respond to a 13-year-old girl who confided that she had been sexually assaulted. She later wished she had simply told the girl: "Me too."

Italian model Ambra Gutierrez cooperated with the NYPD to obtain an audio recording in which Harvey Weinstein admitted to having inappropriately touched her. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence of criminal intent, against the advice of police who considered the evidence sufficient. The DA's office and the NYPD blamed each other for the failure to bring charges.

The New York Times published an investigation by journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey detailing three decades of sexual harassment by film producer Harvey Weinstein, including eight settlements with actresses and employees at Miramax and The Weinstein Company. The investigation, which took roughly five months to complete, exposed the systemic nature of Weinstein's conduct and the complicity of enablers who had suppressed complaints through payments and threats.

Five days after the Times story, NBC News correspondent Ronan Farrow reported in The New Yorker that Weinstein had sexually assaulted or harassed thirteen women and raped three. Farrow said he had wanted to break the story months earlier with NBC, but implied the network was under pressure not to publish, which NBC denied. The New Yorker also published the 2015 audio recording of Weinstein admitting to groping Ambra Gutierrez.

Actress Alyssa Milano posted on Twitter: "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet." The hashtag was used more than 200,000 times by the end of the day and more than 500,000 times by October 16. On Facebook, 4.7 million people used the hashtag in 12 million posts within 24 hours. The next day, Milano acknowledged Tarana Burke as the originator of the movement, linking to her organization's website.

In the weeks following the Weinstein revelations, numerous powerful men across industries were fired or resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations. Actor Kevin Spacey was accused of sexual advances toward a minor, comedian Louis C.K. admitted to sexual misconduct, NBC fired Today Show host Matt Lauer, and Congressman John Conyers became the first sitting U.S. politician to resign in the wake of #MeToo. The cascade became known as the "Weinstein effect," extending beyond Hollywood to media, politics, technology, academia, and finance.

The hashtag #ChurchToo was launched by Emily Joy and Hannah Paasch on Twitter to highlight sexual abuse in church settings. In January 2018, it gained national attention after Pastor Andy Savage live-streamed a confession of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl twenty years earlier. Despite the admission, his congregation responded with applause. Savage subsequently resigned from his position at Highpoint Church.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier introduced the Member and Employee Training and Oversight on Congress Act (ME TOO Congress Act) to reform how the U.S. legislative branch handles sexual harassment complaints. The bill aimed to eliminate mandatory cooling-off periods, require public disclosure of settlements, and make representatives personally liable for harassment settlements. It was revealed that $15 million in federal tax money had been spent settling harassment and discrimination complaints within a decade.

Time Magazine named "The Silence Breakers"—the women and men who spoke out about sexual harassment and assault—as 2017 Person of the Year. The cover featured prominent figures including Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, and Tarana Burke, recognizing the collective cultural impact of #MeToo as a watershed moment in public consciousness about the prevalence of sexual violence.

Over 300 women in the entertainment industry launched the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund to support women and men who experienced workplace sexual harassment, assault, or related retaliation. The initiative, emerging from the #MeToo momentum, aimed to extend the movement's reach beyond Hollywood to blue-collar and service workers. Filmmaker Maria Giese's earlier work bringing the ACLU to investigate Hollywood's gender discrimination helped lay groundwork for the initiative.

Babe.net published an anonymous account by a woman identified as "Grace" describing an uncomfortable sexual encounter with comedian Aziz Ansari. The article sparked intense debate about whether #MeToo was conflating criminal sexual assault with bad dates and social awkwardness. Critics argued the movement risked undermining serious allegations by lumping them with private behavior, while defenders maintained it highlighted broader issues of consent and power dynamics that had long gone unexamined.

Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in 1982. The nationally televised hearing became a flashpoint for #MeToo: supporters viewed Ford as courageous, while critics argued the movement had weaponized uncorroborated allegations for political ends. Kavanaugh was confirmed on October 6, 2018, by a 50-48 Senate vote following a supplemental FBI investigation.

The #MeToo movement spread globally, with each country confronting its own cultural norms around sexual harassment. In India, allegations swept through Bollywood, media, and politics. In France, the hashtag #BalanceTonPorc ("Expose Your Pig") emerged alongside #MeToo. The movement also reached Spain, Japan, China, Italy, and Israel, expanding beyond Hollywood to encompass music, science, academia, technology, and politics worldwide.

Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape in the third degree and a criminal sexual act, and sentenced to 23 years in prison. The conviction was widely seen as a landmark moment for #MeToo, demonstrating that even the most powerful men could face criminal consequences. The New York Times and The New Yorker had been awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their Weinstein coverage.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Bill Cosby's 2018 sexual assault conviction, ruling that he had been denied due process when a prior prosecutor's agreement not to charge him was violated. Cosby had been the first celebrity convicted of sexual assault in the #MeToo era. The reversal intensified the debate about whether #MeToo-era prosecutions were compromising due process protections for the accused.

The U.S. Congress gave final approval to legislation ensuring that anyone sexually harassed at work can seek legal redress. By 2021, 19 states had enacted new sexual harassment protections and more than 200 bills had been introduced in state legislatures. Studies by the U.S. Department of Justice and UK Home Office estimated that false reports of sexual assault make up only 2–10% of all claims, though the majority of victims never report incidents, most commonly due to fear of reprisal.

A jury found that Amber Heard had defamed Johnny Depp in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed about domestic abuse, awarding him $10 million in compensatory damages. The livestreamed trial generated enormous public interest, with the hashtag #JusticeForJohnnyDepp accumulating over 18 billion views on TikTok. Amber Heard stated: "It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up could be publicly shamed and humiliated." Domestic violence experts warned the outcome would deter women from reporting abuse, while others viewed the verdict as a correction to #MeToo overreach.