Celebrities have always been a contentious topic among fanbases. The line between an impossible standard of perfection and a reasonable level of accountability gets blurred sometimes. This becomes even more dangerous and problematic when allegations of sexual and domestic assault get brought forward and later ignored.
Football players have been reported for decades for their domestic abuse cases. The NFL has improved over the last five years by suspending players for these cases. One such player was Greg Hardy, who was practically kicked out of the NFL in 2015. Hardy was signed to the UFC in 2018 after his messy exit due to domestic violence allegations. UFC CEO, Dana White has made strong comments about fighters who have domestic violence allegations against them, but allegations continue to rise against fighters. Most recently, decorated fighter Jon Jones was arrested – with charges dropped after a plea deal – for various charges including domestic violence. His future in the UFC is unclear.
Another celebrity who was plagued with negative publicity after a domestic violence case is Chris Brown who beat Rhianna in 2009. Since then, Brown has had multiple assault allegations brought against him, but the singer has continued to release chart-topping music despite lots of negative comments by users on social media.
This is not just an athlete and musician issue. Recently, actor Chris Noth, well-known for his work in Sex and the City, has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Although Noth denies these claims, his co-stars supported the women who have made these allegations over social media.
Unfortunately, many stories of powerful people who have been accused of sexual assault do not end like Andrew Cuomo, Kevin Spacey or Louis C.K., who lost power and influence in society and their fields. However, neither are facing any jail time for their crimes. Social accountability is a step in the right direction, but without legal accountability it is not enough to discourage potential rapists and sexual assaulters. It seems like people who hold a lot of power are encouraged to commit these crimes against vulnerable men and women because they know they will almost never have to answer for them. For many people, a simple denial of the accusations is enough to stop them from digging further into their past. The #MeToo movement was so important because it showed the world how much harm these people are capable of. It seems like years afterwards; the follow-through has been weak.
A proper response to anyone, regardless of how powerful or how beloved, who is accused of sexual assault or domestic abuse is jail time if proven guilty. That is the punishment for the average person, there is no reason why it should not be true as well for those who happen to have a higher status. The message this has sent to generations of people has fostered the environment where this crisis has been allowed to perpetuate. Survivors should no longer be ostracized voices that fizzle out after a couple of months, but testimonies that should be legitimized and acted upon. This is the only way to make sure that those who commit these atrocities are not able to hurt anyone else.
