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Meryl Streep Deflects Question About Her Silence on Weinstein: 'I Don't Want to Hear About the Silence of Me'

Actress Meryl Streep addresses the Democratic National Convention, July 26, 2016, in Philadelphia / Getty
January 3, 2018

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep attacked First Lady Melania Trump and White House adviser Ivanka Trump for their "silence" on sexual harassment after deflecting a question about her own silence following dozens of sexual misconduct allegations levied against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The New York Times published an interview with her on Wednesday, where the newspaper asked her to respond to people waiting on her to initially speak up against Weinstein.

Streep acknowledged that Weinstein was "deeply evil" and "duplicitous," but she also appeared to justify her silence by saying that she didn't have Twitter or Facebook to amplify her views on Weinstein. She added that he was a "champion of really great work."

The Times followed up by asking her what she thought of people waiting for her to speak on Weinstein.

"I don’t want to hear about the silence of me. I want to hear about the silence of Melania Trump. I want to hear from her. She has so much that’s valuable to say. And so does Ivanka. I want her to speak now," Streep responded.

Streep never mentioned that President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, told an audience in Tokyo last November that the sexual harassment of women in the workplace should "never be tolerated."

She also said that "there's a special place in hell" for people who prey on children back in November when she was asked by the Associated Press about the sexual misconduct allegations against Alabama's Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.

The New York Times and the New Yorker both published explosive reports back in October about multiple women who accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct and harassment that spanned almost three decades.