Alec Baldwin admitted he had “bullied women” in the past and treated them in a “very sexist way” during an onstage discussion on Thursday (02Nov17).
The former 30 Rock star was honored by The Paley Center for Media in New York City in Thursday in recognition of his career and support of the organization’s educational programs, and sat down for a discussion with The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon announcer Steve Higgins.
They talked about the current climate in Hollywood, with men and women coming forward with allegations about sexual harassment, assault and misconduct against the likes of industry power players like Harvey Weinstein, James Toback, Brett Ratner, and Kevin Spacey.
Alec also admitted he was guilty of treating women badly in the past and that he hopes men’s old-fashioned behaviour towards women changes in the very near future.
“I certainly have treated women in a very sexist way. I’ve bullied women. I’ve overlooked women. I’ve underestimated women. Not as a rule,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “From time to time, I’ve done what a lot of men do, which is… when you don’t treat women the same way you treat men. You don’t. I’m from a generation where you really don’t and I’d like that to change. I really would like that to change.”
He also admitted that he had heard of rumors of such behavior but he didn’t really know the scope of the problem, which has seen hundreds of women making complaints in recent weeks.
“It’s been a very eye-opening experience for me personally,” he said. “We’ve got to be vigilant in a new way to make sure that everybody is comfortable and that we get the job done together that we’re there to do.”
He added that harassment and assault within Hollywood was hurting the business and making it less productive and said all workplaces need to change to make a comfortable, fair and appropriate environment for women.
