Ben Affleck came under fire this week for making a joke about the ever-widening scandal involving sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
During a recent MTV interview with the cast of Justice League, the interviewer asked what kind of superhero they could add to their group. Henry Cavill, who plays Superman, suggested Supergirl.
“What would you get up to if you had, like, Supergirl, joining the team?” the interview then asks the cast.
“I think it would create a different dynamic,” responds Ray Fisher, to which Affleck adds: “Have you seen the news at all?”
The joke soon drew criticism from fans on social media, who accused Affleck of making light of the growing sexual harassment scandal of which he has been implicated.
Affleck quickly became the subject of scrutiny following a series of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, due to his close relationship with the disgraced movie producer.
In a statement, Affleck said that he had been left “saddened and angry” by the allegations against Weinstein, with dozens of women accusing him of everything from harassment to rape.
However, Affleck was also accused by two women of groping and inappropriately touching them and has since confirmed he was “examining his own behavior.”
Affleck has since said that he wishes to be “part of the solution” to Hollywood’s culture of sexual abuse, which has engulfed dozens of major figures across the industry. Affleck said “more women need to be pushed to power” and that sexual harassment has to also be “a men’s issue” where men are willing to call out abuse.
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