The actress says she has “quite a few stories” when it comes to the #MeToo movement, but won’t be sharing them publicly.
Megan Fox says she has “quite a few stories” when it comes to the #MeToo movement, but won’t be sharing them publicly.
In an interview with the New York Times, the actress discussed how she felt “ahead of her time,” when it came to speaking out about how Hollywood undervalues women in the past.
The 32-year-old actress made headlines a decade ago after claiming Transformers director, Michael Bay, would tell her to “Be hot,” or “Just be sexy,” when she asked for direction while filming two movies in the franchise. In the same year, she discussed being asked to don a bikini and heels while dancing under a waterfall while filming Bad Boys II with Bay -- all while she was just 15 years old.
However, it’s likely that the reception she got wasn’t as sympathetic as it would have been if she raised such issues in today’s #MeToo movement.
“My words were taken and used against me in a way that was -- at that time in my life, at that age and dealing with that level of fame -- really painful,” she told NYT. I don’t want to say this about myself, but let’s say that I was ahead of my time and so people weren’t able to understand.”
“Instead, I was rejected because of qualities that are now being praised in other women coming forward,” she continued. “And, because of my experience, I feel it’s likely that I will always be just out of the collective understanding. I don’t know if there will ever be a time where I’m considered normal or relatable or likable.
Fox explained that because of the reaction she has experienced from the public in the past, she decided against speaking out further when celebrities started coming forward with their #MeToo stories.
“One could assume that I probably have quite a few stories, and I do -- I didn’t speak out for many reasons,” said Fox, who has three children with 45-year-old actor husband, Brian Austin Green. “I just didn’t think based on how I’d been received by people, and by feminists, that I would be a sympathetic victim. And, I thought if ever there were a time where the world would agree that it’s appropriate to victim-shame someone, it would be when I come forward with my story.”
“I also feel like I’m not the universal hammer of justice,” she added, when asked if she wished to share any stories now. “This is not to say that other people shouldn’t do what they feel is right. But in my circumstance, I don’t feel it’s my job to punish someone because they did something bad to me.”
See more on Fox and #MeToo below.
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