The #MeToo movement sought to remove those in Hollywood who have been accused or found guilty of rape and sexual assault. Instead, they just gave one of them an Oscar.
On Sunday night, NBA legend Kobe Bryant won an Oscar for Best Animated Short in recognition of his documentary titled “Dear Basketball.” The film told the story of Bryant’s retirement from the NBA. However, the award stands in stark contrast to the #MeToo movement’s emphasis on zero tolerance, given that Bryant was once accused of sexual assault.
Kobe even managed to work in a dig at Fox News’ Laura Ingraham during his acceptance speech:
The “shut up and dribble” comment is in reference to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, who chastised NBA star LeBron James for saying that he believes President Trump doesn’t “give a f*ck about the people.” In response, Ingraham told James that he should “shut up and dribble.” A request that James instead focus his efforts on the things that he actually gets paid for, instead of opining on politics.
However, far more controversial is the idea that Bryant received the award at all given Hollywood’s militant anti-sexual misconduct atmosphere.
According to the Daily News, “The Lakers superstar was accused of rape by a 19-year-old hotel employee who claimed Bryant assaulted her while he was staying at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Colorado.
“The woman, who was a desk clerk at the hotel, said she and Bryant kissed and flirted before he assaulted her.
“Bryant, who was married at the time, admitted publicly that he had had relations with the teen, but alleged all encounters were entirely consensual.”
However, Bryant’s accuser did not testify and the criminal case fell apart. Though, the civil case continued until 2005 when Bryant settled the suit for an undisclosed amount.
Twitter did not fail to react, or point out the hypocrisy of Bryant receiving an Oscar:
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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