Matt Damon received a lot of negativity after his recent comments about the current wave of sexual harassment allegations in the entertainment industry dubbed the #MeToo movement.
In his statement, the Good Will Hunting star explained that he believes that not all cases of sexual misconduct carry the same weight and that harassment should be viewed differently from outright assault.
Many expressed their disappointment with Damon over the comments, including various female celebrities who were quick to point out the flaws in his logic from their side.
And now, it looks like his words might cost him part of his career. A recent petition that has been circulating on the Internet demands Damon’s removal from the upcoming Ocean’s 8 movie.
Nearly 20,000 individuals have backed the petition, and it looks like the number of signatures is growing quite fast.
The situation is a tricky one, as Ocean’s 8 reboots the franchise with a unique twist — an all-female cast.
In that context, Damon’s comments seem to make his presence on the set a particularly controversial one, and some have indeed pointed out that it would be an insult to women to keep him involved in the production in any capacity.
Damon himself has not commented on the wave of negativity, including the petition, and there is no indication if the producers of the film might take it into consideration.
However, it is entirely possible that there is already some conflict behind the scenes, given the nature of the film and the actresses involved, so it would not be surprising to hear news of Damon’s dismissal in the coming weeks/months.
A few people are convinced that Damon is not totally wrong in his statement, but he chose the wrong time to speak out.
The Massachusetts native might need to change the way he approaches the topic in the press.