On this week’s episode of ESSENCE Now, we discuss the #MeToo campaign that’s spotlighting sexual harassment and assault, Queen Latifah dishes on a Girls Trip sequel, and Safaree Samuels enters The Steam Room.
“We have a president who was accused of sexual assault. That just goes to show you how accepted this behavior is,” said ESSENCE’s Sr. News and Culture editor Christina Coleman when speaking about the personal stories women shared with the hashtag #MeToo. “Women are still holding the torch.” The campaign, which sparked thousands of threads about women being sexually assaulted, was originally created by Tarana Burke in 2007 and made into a hashtag this week by actress Alyssa Milano.
“We don’t see a large mobilization of men leading this charge to say ‘Hey, I’ve made a woman feel uncomfortable’ or ‘Hey, I’ve sexually assaulted someone before,’ or “Hey, other men, let’s step up and protect women,'” Coleman said.
Later in the show, Queen Latifah gave us all the tea on her new music and Mo’Nique’s comments about Black actresses not being paid as much as men in Hollywood.
“She’s right,” said Latifah. “My partner Shakim [Compere] and I, we don’t just take what we’re offered. You know, we always push it further and we realize what our worth is. But I also realize that we can create this content. If you really wanna get paid, make it yourself and put it out and own it.”
Watch the full show for more of Queen Latifah’s interview and to see what happened when we put Love & Hip Hop Hollywood star Safaree into The Steam Room.