Dame Joan Collins has shared her thoughts on the impact cancel culture has had on Hollywood - and it's safe to say she did not hold back.
The actress, 90, shared her insights into the evolving culture of the entertainment industry, stating that the intensifying fear of cancel culture is gradually stripping the fun out of Hollywood.
Dame Joan is best known for her role as Alexis Colby in the eighties soap, Dynasty, and despite the changing times, her love for a glamorous, old-fashioned Hollywood party remains undimmed. However, she noted a marked shift in their tone.
"The parties I go to now are kind of... dull," she admitted in an interview with Best magazine. "They are red carpet things in which everybody does behave. If you don't behave now you are going to get canceled."
Having been an integral part of the Hollywood scene for decades, Dame Joan is no stranger to the dynamic changes in the industry. The London-born actress, who has been married five times, also gave her verdict on the current crop of stars.
She identified Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and Keanu Reeves as the ones with enduring star power, explaining: "I think Nicole Kidman is fabulous and Margot Robbie is one of the great beauties. Particularly Brad, he is like one of the movie stars of the Golden Age."
It's not the first time Dame Joan has spoken out about the attitude shift in Hollywood, having previously been vocal about the profound changes in Hollywood following the onset of the #MeToo movement six years ago. In a conversation with The New York Times in March 2022, she expressed concerns about the extreme backlash faced by males amidst the movement against sexual misconduct and abuse.
"Sadly, I think that now young men are suffering from being labeled toxically masculine because of this rise of anti-maleness," she stated, while asserting her feminist stance. "I believe that women are equal to men in every single way, except physical strength.
"People say you didn't burn your bra, you wear lipstick. So what? I'm very proud of being a woman."
Dame Joan also touched upon the topic of gender-neutral terms, questioning the need to abandon traditional labels. "What's wrong with mother? What's wrong with woman? Girl? I don't like having that word taken away."
Dame Joan has never shied away from the difficult topics, including her own past experiences with sexual assault. Reflecting on the #MeToo movement in a 2018 interview with The Observer, she revealed her no-nonsense approach to dealing with sexual harassment and misconduct. "I just gave them a knee in the groin. It's hardly suffering. You just didn't put up with it," she declared.
Over the course of her lifetime, Dame Joan has been married five times and is the mother of three children. She is currently married to Percy Gibson, who she tied the knot with in 2002 at the luxurious Claridge's Hotel in London, the same venue where they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary last year.
