EARLIER THIS WEEK, it emerged that Ryan Seacrest had been accused to sexual harassment and unwanted sexual aggression by his stylist of eleven years, Suzie Hardy.
In November, Hardy’s attorney sent a letter to E!, NBCUniversal and Ryan Seacrest, detailing how Ryan Seacrest had allegedly subjected Hardy to years of sexual harassment.
This harassment included ‘grinding his erect penis against her while clad only in his underwear’, groping her vagina and smacking her bum so hard that she was left with a mark several hours later.
Hardy said that she was afraid to speak out, because as a single mother, she feared she would not find another job that would allow her to financially provide for her child while having flexible work hours that would enable her to pick her child up from school every day.
When Hardy reported the incidents to human resources in 2013, her employment ended.
Speaking to Variety, Suzie Hardy said:
As proud as I am and as strong as a woman I am, as smart as I am and as much work I’ve done with therapists, it really affected me.
Seacrest has vehemently denied the allegations since November and has since said that he ‘unequivocally‘ supports the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. In a statement with The Hollywood Reporter, Seacrest said:
Yesterday, Variety published a salacious story that revealed the specific claims against me for the first time – even though and independent third-party investigator found insufficient evidence to support the claims.
E! later confirmed that Seacrest will still host the red carpet at the Oscars this Sunday.
While appearing on the Howard Stern Show, Jennifer Lawrence, a supporter of the Time’s Up movement was asked if she would acknowledge or speak to Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet this year.
The actress said that she was not completely aware of the allegations made against Ryan, and when Stern elaborated a little bit on them she responded “I can’t imagine him being sexual. Umm, I don’t know.”
I think it is scary, y’know. He has not been to trial for anything, I am not a judge. I am not a jury. I don’t know. That is where stuff gets tricky.
The 28-year-old actress then told Howard Stern that she wasn’t a big fan of E!, anyway.
I mean there is a lot to think about with E!, you know? I’ve always had a problem with Fashion Police. I don’t have a problem with them talking about what women are wearing, but there was a time when they were… They were just mean about people’s bodies.
She continued to be critical of the E! Network, and referred to Catt Sadler’s recent quit due to the disparity between her salary and that of her co-host Jason Kennedy’s.
[I] have noticed that they keep cycling these women and I’m going… “Is that so you don’t have to pay another woman equally to Jason? Is this just a way to still maintain that you are not paying women equally?”
