Even with events like the Oscars, which is meant to be a celebration of a year of film, it's hard not to think about the recent events that have shaken the movie business. So when actress Tariji P Henson throws some shade at Ryan Seacrest, it's easy to read more into it - especially when Seacrest has been accused of various instances of sexual abuse and harassment.
While it all started with the sexual misconduct of one powerful man in Hollywood, the last few months have seen a serious amount of change in the film industry. By the end of October 2017, over 80 women had accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse, leading to the producer's expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
This sparked of social change later dubbed as the "Weinstein effect", in which similar accusations were made against various powerful men around the world. The #MeToo social campaign saw women all over the world sharing their stories of dealing with harassment and abuse in the workplace, showing that this is a systemic issue rather than one solely confined to Hollywood.
Women in Hollywood have helped to publicise Time's Up, a movement against sexual harassment in response to the #MeToo campaign. As of February 2018, a month after its founding, the movement has raised $20 million for its legal defense fund and gathered over 200 volunteer lawyers.
With these high profile figures wearing all black to the Golden Globes to raise awareness of the issue, and sharing their messages across social media, women's marches and awards speeches, it's clear that change is coming. And that means that there are a lot of women out there like Taraji P. Henson who don't have time for those that have abused their positions.
During the red carpet at the Oscars this year, the Hidden Figures star was stopped to talk to Ryan Seacrest, who was covering the awards for E!. Seacrest's former personal stylist Suzie Hardy had accused Seacrest multiple times of harassment and abuse, but E!'s investigation into the allegations had found "insufficient evidence" to support her.
Likely with this in mind, Henson gave a surprising reply to Seacrest when he asked her about Mary J Blige's two Oscar nominations. "You know, the universe has a way of taking care of the good people," she said with a smile. "You know what I mean?"
If you can't feel it from reading, check out the video to feel the power of this moment:
The internet went mad at the comment, with one user commenting that she had "put a curse on Ryan Seacrest".
And if there was any doubt about the shade thrown here:
If you want to see more about the Oscars, you should definitely check out these side-by-sides that show what the industry's biggest actors looked like on their first red carpet compared to what they look like now.
