In a new op-ed on Deadline, actress and #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano attempted to explain why she is still supporting Joe Biden for president despite the sexual assault allegations launched against him by arguing that "the world is gray" and in need of more "nuance."
Milano, who became a prominent voice for "believing all women" during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, has faced backlash for not applying the same level of deference to Biden's accuser, nor the same level of scrutiny to the accused in this case, Biden.
What does she say?
In the opinion piece, Milano largely avoids the proverbial elephant in the room. Which is, what exactly makes the current situation unique, other than that it is her preferred candidate that is being accused?
Here's an interesting segment:
As an activist, it can be very easy to develop a black and white view of the world: things are clearly wrong or clearly right. Harvey Weinstein's decades of rape were clearly wrong. Donald Trump's alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong. Brett Kavanaugh's actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results), were clearly wrong. So were Matt Lauer's, Bill Cosby's and so many others.
Except it's not always so easy, and living in the gray areas is something we're trying to figure out in the world of social media. But here's something social media doesn't afford us–nuance.
The world is gray. And as uncomfortable as that makes people, gray is where the real change happens. Black and white is easy. Gray is the place women can come together out of the glare of the election and speak our truths, our doubts, our hopes, our convictions and test them against the light and the dark.
Ultimately, despite claiming that the allegations against Biden "concern [her], deeply," Milano decides to stick with the candidate, whom she still "respects" and "admires."
"I still support Joe Biden because I believe that's the best choice for that future, and again it is not up to women to absolve perpetrators," she states.
It didn't go over well
Many on Twitter were not persuaded by Milano's arguments for "gray" areas and "nuance" and were quick to call out the hypocrisy.
Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics illustrated her hypocrisy quite nicely:
Alyssa Milano attempts to separate the MeToo world into the black and white (ie those whose actions were clearly wr… https://t.co/LDlQE3S3yv— Tom Bevan (@Tom Bevan) 1588244070.0
Actor Adam Baldwin called Milano an accessory to Biden's killing of the #MeToo movement:
Alyssa Milano: Accessory to Joe Biden’s killing of the #MeToo movement: https://t.co/tdLmyKZtKQ— Adam Baldwin (@Adam Baldwin) 1588246606.0
The RedState's Brandon Morse called out the actress for abandoning her principles as soon as she had something to lose.
What's interesting about this is that @Alyssa_Milano had professed a set of principles and claimed moral high-groun… https://t.co/Dbilldv4cR— Brandon Morse (@Brandon Morse) 1588249820.0
Stephen Miller said Milano's op-ed is only "making things worse."
Alyssa Milano is a career expert at making things worse. Whether it’s the show Charmed or unanswered sexual assault… https://t.co/u3O7NkYbIc— Stephen L. Miller (@Stephen L. Miller) 1588247885.0
National Review's Alexandra DeSanctis described the confusing op-ed as Milano "playing a game of Twister":
With a new, highly confused op-ed in @DEADLINE, @Alyssa_Milano continues her game of Twister, striving to retain he… https://t.co/Er0754QS9y— Alexandra DeSanctis (@Alexandra DeSanctis) 1588258638.0
It seems that Milano's argument in a nutshell is: Don't believe all women, just the women who accuse people you don't like.