What You Need to Know About the “Me Too” Movement

On October 5, the The New York Times published an exposé detailing sexual abuse and harassment accusations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein that go back decades. In the aftermath of the story (plus another separate investigation by The New Yorker), dozens of women have come forward detailing the trauma, harassment, and abuse they say they suffered at the hands of Weinstein.

The revelation set off major outrage and triggered frank discussions about the realities of the harassment many women (and men) face in the office—and it's all led to an outpouring of support for victims of sexual assault. Yesterday, Alyssa Milano—whose Charmed co-star Rose McGowan has essentially become the Joan of Arc of the Weinstein scandal—shared a message on her social media channels: "If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me Too.' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."

If your Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook feeds are like mine, they're filled with an endless stream of people proclaiming "me too."

Keep reading for 7 high-profile women who have joined the "me too" movement.

1. Alyssa Milano

Me too.

A post shared by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on Oct 15, 2017 at 1:26pm PDT

 2. Wellness star Chinae Alexander

??PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ: That time I was 15 years old, locked in a Mexican club bathroom with two guys I knew...drunk and incoherent as they put their hands all over me...only to be interrupted by a long line of angry people needing to use the toilet. It was okay, because we were just drunk and young. •That time when I was 19 and watched a guy slip something into my drink at a frat party and I politely pretended to sip on it to avoid making a scene, having to sneak out before he realized I’d been faking it. But it was okay because I got away and just would avoid their parties in the future. •That time when I was 21... new to New York and made eye contact with a man as he took his penis out on a crowded train to touch himself while staring at me. It was okay because people can be crazy in New York. • Or that same year when I was wearing a short skirt on the train and a guy grabbed my bare ass as hard as he could with his rough hands. I punched him in the face. But it was still okay because I probably shouldn’t have been wearing such a short skirt in the first place. • Or all those other times when dates in the past few years with sensible guys put their hands on me before the second drink hit the table. It’s okay because that’s just how things are now. Well, if sex is a potential on the first date, the second drink groping under the table fits just right in that timeline doesn’t it?• Or that time every single day when my music isn’t loud enough to drown out sexual slurs hurled or of car windows or whispered under breath as I hurriedly pass by. It’s not okay. ✋?IT’S NEVER FUCKING BEEN OKAY. To mentally survive we’ve created these false reasons of why this behavior is acceptable or warranted. Maybe even somehow our fault. I don’t give a shit how drunk you are, how short your skirt is, or how flirtatious your words are over dinner... it’s not okay. ✨ The only way we can not feel alone is by sharing our stories. Coming forward is the only way to change culture. ??Below, I urge you to share your story if you care to. Or if you prefer to just say, ME TOO... that’s enough. You are not alone. This stops now. With us. ✋?

A post shared by CHINAE ALEXANDER (@chinaealexander) on Oct 16, 2017 at 9:26am PDT

 3. Rose McGowan

#metoo pic.twitter.com/jHPYgsWCEw

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 16, 2017

4. Talk show host Amanda de Cadenet

If all the women who have been sexually assaulted or harassed comment ‘Me, too’ we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. #MeToo

A post shared by Amanda de Cadenet (@amandadecadenet) on Oct 15, 2017 at 9:39pm PDT

 5. Evan Rachel Wood

Because I was shamed and considered a "party girl" I felt I deserved it. I shouldnt have been there, I shouldn't have been "bad" #metoo

— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) October 16, 2017

6. Gabrielle Union

This. #MeToo https://t.co/oYiyeMxvuy

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) October 15, 2017

7. The Moldy Peaches singer Kimya Dawson

#metoo pic.twitter.com/rXNFUqadBo

— Kimya Dawson (@mrskimyadawson) October 15, 2017

Amber Tambyln's piece for The New York Times examines why women need to be believed, and Taylor Swift's experience with sexual assault was a powerful reminder to other victims.