Evan Rachel Wood was at the forefront of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements during this year’s Golden Globes.
Although Evan Rachel Wood was not in attendance at this year’s Golden Globes, her voice was still heard. Wood was on of the many women of Hollywood who banded together to for the Time’s Up movement. A group of women and men who aimed to break the cycle of sexual harassment and inequality in every industry. Wood’s role on HBO’s Westworld, could be seen as a metaphor for people waking up and taking a stand to change the world.
Evan Rachel Wood Is Woke
HOLLYWOOD, CA – MAY 13: Actress Evan Rachel Wood attends Buzzfeed hosts the 1st Inaugural Queer Prom for LGBT Youth in Los Angeles at Siren Studios on May 13, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)
Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) was a host that played the part of the damsel-in-distress for guests to act out their own fantasies. Dolores’ loop ended her either being raped or watching her loved ones murdered by the guests over and over again. Part of the story was Dolores solving the riddle of the maze, which lead to her own awakening.
In the real world, Evan Rachel Wood went through her own maze of sorts. She had to undergo her own form of suffering. Wood admitted she was raped by members of the entertainment industry. In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations and the #MeToo movement, Evan Rachel Wood went on YouTube to discuss her own experiences as a rape victim. In the video, the award-winning actress discussed why she decided not to mention any names and why that’s nothing to be ashamed about.
Her own empowerment started when she dove into the role of Dolores Abernathy on Westworld. Just like the character she played, she became aware of her own struggles. In an interview with Forbes last year, Wood discussed how the character motivated her to enter therapy, “She’s a survivor; she’s been abused for about 30 years … she’s been knocked down so many times and she comes back even stronger.”
Playing Dolores in Westworld gave her the strength to recognize that she needed to seek help. Wood learned that she had to love herself first. Then she took the next steps to begin her healing process. She never realized that portraying Dolores Abernathy would have such a profound affect on other people.
What She Found In The Center Of The Maze
After Westworld, Evan Rachel Wood learned that Dolores Abernathy represented what many women were suffering from everywhere. And she wanted to do something about it.
On January 1, 2018, women from all parts of the entertainment industry united with over 700,000 participants in the National Farmworker’s Female Alliance to shine the brightest light on gender-based violence and exploitation. The Time’s Up movement is an initiative to make the victims and survivors heard and create an open discussion on how everyone can help create an equal balance of power in every industry.
A day before the Golden Globes, Evan Rachel Wood took to Twitter. She encouraged victims attending the event to not be afraid to point out the predators. She came up with a way that would not focus on the victim, yet still give the victim a voice:
The purpose of this request was not to point out the sexual harassers. Instead, her goal was for the harassers to have second thoughts on attending the ceremony. Even though no circles were seen on the red carpet, the women attending the event wore black dresses in solidarity. The image of women coming together that night made it known that victims of sexual misconduct no longer need to feel angry or ashamed.
Evan Rachel Wood, in her own quest to the center of the maze, found her purpose. Behind every victim who chooses to be silent, Wood is standing next to them. She has become a champion of change for men and women everywhere.
Learn how you can help change sexual misconduct by visiting the the Time’s Up site.
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