Lindsay Lohan Makes Controversial Remarks About Women Who Speak Out About Sexual Assault

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Lindsay Lohan Makes Controversial Remarks About Women Who Speak Out About Sexual Assault

Last year, in the wake of the sexual assault and harassment allegations against famed producer Harvey Weinsten and numerous other men within the entertainment industry, Charmed alum Alyssa Milano started one of the most powerful social media movements to date.

The actress began the #MeToo movement to bring attention to the prevalence of sexual assault in our society and give victims a chance to stand up against it together.

"My hope is people will get the idea of the magnitude, of just how many people have been affected by this in the world, in our lifetimes, in this country," Milano said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The most important thing that it did was to shift the conversation away from the predator and to the victim."

In a short amount of time, the movement has empowered thousands of women and men, including Milano's fellow celebrities, to share their harrowing experiences at the hands of predators.

However, as with most social and political issues, not everyone is on the same side. There have been a plethora of conflicting opinions about the effectiveness and necessity of the #MeToo movement.

On one hand, critics think that the initiative will create change because it has been garnering a lot of attention worldwide, but on the other hand, the #MeToo campaign is blamed for taking the responsibility of the perpetrators and placing it on the victims.

"The problem is that it asks the victims of abuse to - once again - expose their own histories and pain to public view while demanding no accountability from the people who victimized them. It is the same old shifting of responsibility away from the people who bear the blame," Jen Gerson wrote in an article for The National Post.

During a recent interview with The Times, actress Lindsay Lohan suggested that women who share their stories of sexual harassment and assault are "weak."

"I'm going to really hate myself for saying this, but I think by women speaking against all these things, it makes them look weak when they are very strong women," she said.

The 32-year-old Mean Girls star insisted that she is "supportive of women" and understands that "everyone goes through their own experiences," but that doesn't deter her from calling some of the people who come forward "attention-seekers."

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"You have these girls who come out, who don't even know who they are, who do it for the attention. That is taking away from the fact that it happened," Lohan added.

She also thinks that victims should file a police report as soon as it happens instead of waiting for years.

"If it happens at that moment, you discuss it at that moment. You make it a real thing by making it a police report," she said.

This isn't the first time that Lohan, who said she has no personal #MeToo stories to share, is catching heat for sharing her opinions about #MeToo. Last year, she filmed a now-deleted video in which she defended Weinstein despite all the serious allegations against him.

"I feel very bad for Harvey Weinstein right now. I don't think it's right what's going on," she said at the time. "He's never harmed me or did anything wrong to me and we have done several movies together... I think everyone needs to stop. I think it's wrong."

Of course, Lohan's most recent comments have angered many people on the internet, some of whom took to social media to voice their fury.

"Hey @lindsaylohan If I'm weak for being in the #metoo movement and speaking against my abuser, what does it make you look like?" wrote one Twitter user. "A moron who has no idea what it's like to survive sexual abuse. Please, shut up and stay home from now on."

Another tweeted, "Dear #LindsayLohan a woman who asserts herself, stands for others & fights for decency & respect in professional & social circles is by no means, weak as you claim of those who have come forward as part of #MeToo. Drug addled, attention seeking, booze hags on the other hand..."

Lohan has yet to respond to the uproar her controversial remarks have caused.

The Parent Trap actress isn't the only celebrity who has had some unpopular opinions about the movement.

Recently, Man of Steel star Henry Cavill found himself at the receiving end of some serious backlash over comments he made about the movement in an interview with GQ Australia.

Like some men have previously argued, Cavill also believes that #MeToo has created a climate that has made it difficult to date.

Following the intense scrutiny, Cavill, who stars in the new Mission: Impossible Fallout film, was forced to release a statement of apology.

What do you think of Lohan's comments? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.