Tag: sexual harassment

NSW Labor frontbencher Walt Secord issues ‘unreserved apology’ in wake of Broderick report

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 12, 2022
No Comments on NSW Labor frontbencher Walt Secord issues ‘unreserved apology’ in wake of Broderick report

Senior NSW Labor frontbencher Walt Secord has “unreservedly apologized” for his conduct, after a review into workplace culture at NSW parliament.

Mr Secord has acknowledged that he can be “too blunt and too direct in a fast-paced workplace”, especially with “strict deadlines and highly-stressful situations”.

“If any parliamentary staff members feel that my conduct in the workplace was unprofessional and caused offense or distress and was unacceptable, I unreservedly apologise,” he said in a statement.

Mr Secord’s statement followed an ABC investigation, in which several of Mr Secord’s current and former colleagues named him as having engaged in bullying behaviour.

They spoke to the ABC in light of the review by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick into the workplace culture of the NSW parliament, which was today made public.

Of those spoken to by the ABC over the past week, five current politicians or former staffers said they had named Mr Secord when interviewed by Ms Broderick or her investigators.

In one submission to Ms Broderick’s investigation obtained by the ABC, a former staffer described the Shadow Police Minister as “a vicious manipulative bully who particularly targeted junior staff and young women”.

“At various times he used his position, size and voice to pressure, berate, intimidate and humiliate staff to get his own way, with no issue too petty to bring about one of his outbursts.”

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NSW Labor leader Chris Minns is questioned about party’s culture

The former staffer described an incident in late 2020 in which he claimed Mr Secord demanded the staff of then-Labor leader, Jodi McKay, send a media release within five minutes of him arriving in his office.

When one member of the office said they needed to send the release to another staffer for her to work on, Mr Secord allegedly replied: “I don’t want her anywhere f…ing near my release”, going on to describe her as “useless”.

According to the submission, when one person objected to the staffer — who was not present to hear the attack — being described as “useless” Mr Secord responded: “You always overstep the mark, you think you’re an MP.”

When others stepped in, Mr Secord allegedly said: “Let’s have it out.”

The submission says after the incident, Mr Secord was banned from Ms McKay’s office.

The account has been corroborated by others in, or walking by, the office at the time of the alleged incident.

In his statement, Mr Secord said “I do not have the same recollections from the staff in the former Leader’s office — especially in relation to raised voices in the workplace”.

The ABC has been contacted by several current NSW Labor MPs — from both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council — and former staffers, who said that, in light of the Broderick review, the party needed to have a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying.

There is no suggestion Mr Secord’s alleged behavior involved any physical or sexual violence or harassment.

Several women in the caucus are planning to send a delegation to Mr Minns next week to discuss the issue of Mr Secord, and the broader culture of the Labor Party.

‘Swift action’ needed

A senior figure in the NSW Labor Party, Amanda Fazio, told the ABC one Labor MP had subjected staff to unacceptable behavior for years, but that no action had been taken.

The ABC understands the MP she was referring to was Mr Secord.

A former President of the Legislative Council, Ms Fazio urged Opposition Leader Chris Minns to take “swift action to remove this member from the ranks of the Labor team.”

Ms Fazio said: “The review by Elizabeth Broderick into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in the NSW parliament have brought to light the behavior of a senior member of the Labor team in the Legislative Council.

“Members and staff alike have been subjected to this person’s behavior for years but to date no action has been taken.

“The behavior is both unacceptable and incompatible with the rules of the Labor Party.

“NSW Labor has invested significantly in recent years to improve the culture, inclusivity and to stamp out bullying and harassment.

“This is evidenced by the adoption of a NSW Labor interim Code of Conduct.

“These revelations provide an opportunity for Labor Leader Chris Minns to demonstrate his commitment to improve the culture in the NSW Parliament by taking swift action to remove this member from the ranks of the Labor team.

“I have known Chris for many years and I am confident that he will rise to the challenge and set the standard required within the Labor team in the Legislative Council.”

Amanda Fazio is a former president of the NSW Legislative Council.(Supplied)

Mr Minns said the Broderick review provided an opportunity for all parties to examine their culture.

Asked this morning whether he was aware of the various claims, Mr Minns said: “I’ve never had a complaint made to me by a survivor or a victim directly as the leader of the NSW Labor Party.

“It’s very difficult to make a summary judgment about events or circumstances in which I haven’t been provided the detail but obviously we take all instances or reports of harassment or bullying seriously.”

In his statement, Mr Secord said he was “aware of my shortcomings”.

“I want to be part of repairing the culture in State Parliament, and addressing my behavior as part of that.

“I will be participating fully in any and all education measures or proposals put forward by the review or that the Labor party thinks is required.

“On a personal level, I have already been undertaking counseling due to the experiences and trauma of growing up as the child of a First Nation father and non-First Nation mother on Indian reserve in the 1970s in southern Canada, which has deeply affected me and impacted on my personality.This has made me a forthright person.

“In the last year, my life has changed completely. In October 2021, I married for the first time and have become active in my synagogue.

“That said, the bottom line is that there is no space for this type of behavior in the NSW parliament — or any workplace.”

Play Video. Duration: 54 seconds — ‘Please leave the NSW Parliament’: Women Minister calls out workplace harassers

Tags assault, broderick report, bullying, nsw parliament, sexual harassment

Australia

NSW parliament’s culture of bullying and sexual harassment revealed by investigation

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 12, 2022
No Comments on NSW parliament’s culture of bullying and sexual harassment revealed by investigation

Allegations of sexual assault, harassment and bullying have been uncovered in a landmark investigation into the workplace culture at NSW’s parliament house.

One in three respondents said they had experienced sexual harassment or bullying in the past five years, according to the review conducted by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

The report found 52 per cent of bullying incidents were allegedly perpetrated by members of parliament.

Two per cent of workers indicated they had experienced actual or attempted sexual assault and almost 10 per cent said they had heard about or witnessed at least one sexual assault.

“Both women and men reported experiences of actual or attempted sexual assault,” the report found.

The NSW Parliamentary Executive Group announced the engagement of Ms Broderick to lead the independent review in July last year.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the culture in parliament had become “toxic” in many instances and the report demonstrated the need for change.

“It is sobering, confronting and unacceptable,” he said.

“Every workplace across our state should be free from harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault but this is not the case in the NSW parliament.

Play Video. Duration: 41 seconds — ‘Sobering and confronting’: NSW Premier vows to end workplace harassment in Parliament

“If parliamentarians cannot lead and provide an environment where the workplace is safe, what hope do we have for other workplaces across our great state?”

Almost 450 people, representing 27.7 per cent of all NSW parliamentary workers, participated in the review.

There were more than 100 one-on-one interviews, seven confidential group listening sessions, and 58 confidential written submissions.

The review found bullying was significant across parliamentary workplaces, describing it as “systemic” and “multi-directional”.

Workers have low confidence in structural or cultural protections to prevent bullying or to stop it once it occurs, the report said.

Some offices were described as “well-known hotspots” characterized by high rates of staff turnover related to harmful behaviours.

A woman with a red skirt walks up the front steps of NSW Parliament — Workers told the review they had low confidence that bullying would stop if reported.(Supplied: Parliament of NSW)

About half of the reported incidents occurred at parliament house with the remainder occurring at electorate offices, during work-related travel, at work-related social functions and online.

Alcohol was considered to be a contributing factor.

Mr Perrottet said the report only marked the beginning of cultural reform in the NSW parliament and pledged to follow through on its recommendations.

These include strengthening internal policies and codes of conduct, reducing alcohol use, increasing support services and monitoring those “well-known hotspots” for bullying.

“Today, change will happen. This report will not be the end. This report will be the beginning,” he said.

Minister for Women and Mental Health Bronnie Taylor told MPs and parliamentary staff they need to set the example for behavior in the parliament.

“For those particular people that may be reading this report today, you know who you are, and my very strong advice to you is that you do not belong in the Parliament of NSW,” she said.

“I ask you to think very long and hard about this, and I ask you to make sure that if this is you that is mentioned, get the help that you need and please leave the NSW parliament.”

A man walks in NSW Parliament — The Opposition Leader said the review paints a “dark picture” on both sides of politics.(Supplied: NSW Parliament)

Opposition Leader Chris Minns said the review “paints a really dark picture” for all sides of politics.

“We all need to do better, reach across the aisle, and make sure that we’re making every possible effort to make the NSW parliament a safe workplace.”

He said the report showed there was no real avenue for people to make complaints in the workplace and he supports calls for an independent complaint process to deal with allegations against politicians, MPs and ministerial staff.

“[Currently the] only avenue is to make a complaint to somebody, potentially from the same political party, who has an in-built apprehended bias, a perceived bias or actual bias.”

Independent MP Alex Greenwich said the report painted an unacceptable and unsafe workplace at NSW parliament.

“The experience of women and LGBTIQA+ staff is harrowing, we should set the standard, not be beyond the pale,” Mr Greenwich said.

“Workplaces that welcome and support LGBTIQA+ staff are safer workplaces for everyone, and the NSW parliament has a lot of work to do in this regard.”

The review, commissioned by former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, said ministerial offices were “unique workplaces”, where staff were under intense public scrutiny and employment protections for ministers were “vastly greater” than those of their staff.

Tags broderick report, bullying, nsw government, nsw parliament, sexual harassment, workplace culture

Australia

SA support service combatting workplace sexual harassment gets $2 million funding boost

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on SA support service combatting workplace sexual harassment gets $2 million funding boost

Tessa Jones* was forced to give up a job she loved after a prolonged and traumatizing experience of sexual harassment.

The 28-year-old said her complaints went nowhere because her alleged harasser was a senior staff member who laughed when she asked him to respect boundaries.

“I just kept saying, ‘stop’ and kept saying, ‘I can’t take this anymore’ and there was no change in behaviour,” she told ABC News.

“Dealing with it was really, really difficult because I was so young, I had no tools to deal with it and I didn’t understand what was going on and why.

“I trusted this person completely — it was a bit of a nightmare.”

Ms Jones — who is now a self-employed creative director — turned to the Working Women’s Center in Adelaide for support after deciding to leave the toxic working environment.

“For me, I had to go through this, I couldn’t go around it, I couldn’t ignore it. I had to go straight through it and the center helped me do that,” she said.

The South Australian Government will give the center $2 million over the next three years so it can employ more lawyers as its caseload continues to increase.

SA Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the funding was “really important” and aligned with recommendations made by federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins during her 2021 review.

“Many women don’t just suffer sexual harassment at work, there’s often underpayment of wages so it’s critically important that women have a resource like the Working Women’s Centre,” he said.

Abbey Kendall stands in front of a park bench and a tree. — Working Women’s Center director Abbey Kendall says the funding will help employ more lawyers for the service.(Supplied)

Center director Abbey Kendall said demand for the service was “huge”.

“As a community, we’ve really only been looking at and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace for the last two to three years,” she said.

She said in the last financial year 14 per cent of inquiries to the center were about sexual harassment and a further 38 per cent were about sexual harassment and discrimination.

“But that’s not an accurate reflection of what is going on in the workplace because we know one in three women experience it across Australia,” she said.

“This additional funding will allow us to reach more women and allow them to come forward in a safe way, which hasn’t been the case before.”

The conversation needs to change

Ms Kendall said a lot of the conversations about workplace sexual harassment centered on “what women should do when it happens to them”.

But she said it needed to shift to a conversation about how to stop perpetrators from preying on people both in the workplace and outside of it.

“From the Working Women’s Center perspective, we need to have more of a focus on primary prevention and instilling gender equality and respect for girls and women right from primary school so that filters up into our workplaces,” she said.

She said penalties for perpetrators and employers that allowed their behavior to flourish needed to be stronger and there needed to be restrictions on the use of non-disclosure agreements.

“Non-disclosure agreements are often misused and it really gags the issues of sexual harassment in the workplace because you can’t name and shame who the perpetrators are and it allows them to continue on with their employment,” she said.

She said the Fair Work Act was last year amended to describe sexual harassment as “serious misconduct” — a step in the right direction.

*Not her real last name

Tags abby kendall, attorney-general, discrimination, kate jenkins, Kyam Maher, sexual harassment, tessa milford-behn, working womens center

Australia

South Australia’s Parliament had a sexual harassment problem. What’s changed?

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on South Australia’s Parliament had a sexual harassment problem. What’s changed?

Months before reports of bullying and sexual harassment in Federal Parliament, South Australia’s Parliament was dealing with its own cultural crisis.

Now, 18 months after a damning report into its “toxic” workplace, the state’s Equal Opportunity Commissioner has said she is not satisfied enough has been done to protect MPs and staff from harassment.

“All of us are entitled to a workplace free of discrimination and harassment including sexual harassment,” SA’s current Equal Opportunity Commissioner Jodeen Carney said.

“There’s a big difference, isn’t there, between talk, and actually getting a job done.

“I’m not satisfied as to the latter.”

The review was ordered by both the Upper and Lower House in 2020, following allegations of inappropriate behavior by former Liberal MP Sam Duluk at a parliamentary Christmas function.

Mr Duluk was found not guilty of assaulting SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros in the Adelaide Magistrates Court last year.

South Australian Parliament — The report detailed a ‘toxic’ culture. (Gary Rivett: ABC News)

Earlier, Mr Duluk had apologized for his behavior at the event, saying he was “deeply sorry for any actions that have caused offence”.

The Equal Opportunity Commissioner’s workplace review found sexual harassment was prevalent in state parliament.

Eight people reported being victims of sexual harassment by MPs or their staff in the five years prior, with the allegations including sexually suggestive comments, indecent exposure, and physical assault.

The report detailed a culture of victim-blaming, a lack of support for complainants, power imbalances, and a lack of training and accountability around workplace behaviour.

Concerns raised about response

Greens MLC Tammy Franks said she was concerned by the parliament’s “slow” response to the report’s 16 recommendations.

“That EO report revealed the toxic workplace here in South Australia,” she said.

“A year-and-a-half on, so many of those recommendations haven’t even begun, let alone be in a position where we can examine whether we’ve addressed the toxic culture.

“The old government was moving, but at a glacial pace.

“The new government needs to step this up.

“We should be seeing far more…on-the-ground evidence.”

The report recommended training for all MPs and parliamentary staff, to raise awareness of sexual and discriminatory harassment, as well as the establishment of new HR structures.

South Australia elected a new government in March, with a swag of first-term MPs sworn in soon after.

A blonde woman wearing a blue jacket in front of columns — Tammy Franks says the government is moving too slow on the report’s recommendations.(ABCNews)

Ms Franks said she had received “one email” from the parliament’s recently appointed People and Culture Officer, while her staff had not received any correspondence.

“It’s concerning that the old crop of MPs didn’t get any training, it’s just as concerning that the new crop hasn’t been offered any training,” she said.

“Parliament is an old institution… [and] the culture of this institution needs concerted, dedicated, and resourced effort to get this job done.”

Liberal frontbencher Michelle Lensink said she believed all MPs wanted to see the recommendations brought in.

“We haven’t had proper HR channels in a range of things for people when they’re experiencing these difficulties,” she said.

“My understanding is there’s some progress that has been made under the Marshall Liberal Government… [but] the primary responsibility lies with the Department of Treasury and Finance.”

Code of conduct commences

Since the review, a code of conduct has been adopted by the parliament – a recommendation put forward by both the Equal Opportunity Commissioner, and by the state’s Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.

In a statement, the Clerks of the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council said work was underway to implement the recommendations.

“Importantly, a people and culture coordinator has been appointed to lead a people and culture unit within Parliament House and there has been considerable progress towards implementing the report’s other relevant recommendations,” they said.

“The Speaker and the President have made it clear how important this work is and it is being taken extremely seriously.

“Both presiding officers will update parliament after the winter recess.”

Changes have also been made to allow breast and bottle feeding in the chamber.

Government responds

Premier Peter Malinauskas said he wanted to see changes made “in a timely way.”

“The Speaker has advised us that the recruitment of a HR specialist has now taken place, which to most people in the private sector would seem like a standard operating procedure, but as it turns out in the archaic processes of parliament is something that’s rather revolutionary ,” he said.

Premier Peter Malinauskas looks sternly toward a journalist wearing a blue suit and black and white tie — Premier Peter Malinauskas says his government will be making changes. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

“I do hope this represents a change and that we actually do get some HR skills in the parliament, to not just train staff, but to make sure basic standards are being adhered to.

“We know that there has been progress … but naturally we want to see progress in a timely way, especially because we’re at the point where most new MPs have got their feet under the desk.

“Now is the time to make sure they’re being trained up on all those appropriate standards.”

“My government will be providing the parliament with all the resources it needs to make sure that can occur.”

Tags review, sa parliament, sexual harassment

Brookline PD chief on leave amid allegations of policy violations

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 7, 2022
No Comments on Brookline PD chief on leave amid allegations of policy violations

Officials in the Massachusetts town of Brookline have placed the chief of police on leave after he was accused of violating a town policy. Brookline Town Administrator Mel Kleckner said in a statement that last week, town officials were made aware of multiple allegations that police Chief Ashley Gonzalez violated the town’s policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. The town immediately began an initial review of the allegations and Gonzalez was placed on paid administrative leave Friday afternoon, according to Kleckner.” The town has a strict zero-tolerance policy against discrimination , sexual harassment and retaliation committed by or against its employees,” Kleckner said in his statement. “We are committed to supporting the investigation, which will determine the facts, and responding accordingly.” Kleckner said the town has hired Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting to conduct a comprehensive review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations. The outside investigation by Comprehensive is being led by former Secretary of Public Safety and Worcester County First Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett and former Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin.Gonzalez will remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the review by Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting.In March , Kleckner selected Gonzalez as his recommendation to be Brookline’s new police chief.The Brookline Select Board then confirmed Gonzalez’s appointment as chief of police in April.Gonzalez has more than 33 years of experience in law enforcement and was most recently the chief of the Austin Independent School District Police Department in Texas.

BROOKLINE, Mass. —

Officials in the Massachusetts town of Brookline have placed the chief of police on leave after he was accused of violating a town policy.

Brookline Town Administrator Mel Kleckner said in a statement that last week, town officials were made aware of multiple allegations that police Chief Ashley Gonzalez violated the town’s policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.

The town immediately began an initial review of the allegations and Gonzalez was placed on paid administrative leave Friday afternoon, according to Kleckner.

“The town has a strict zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation committed by or against its employees,” Kleckner said in his statement. “We are committed to supporting the investigation, which will determine the facts, and responding accordingly.”

Kleckner said the town has hired Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting to conduct a comprehensive review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations. The outside investigation by Comprehensive is being led by former Secretary of Public Safety and Worcester County First Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett and former Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin.

Gonzalez will remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the review by Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting.

In March, Kleckner selected Gonzalez as his recommendation to be Brookline’s new police chief. The Brookline Select Board then confirmed Gonzalez’s appointment as chief of police in April.

Gonzalez has more than 33 years of experience in law enforcement and was most recently the chief of the Austin Independent School District Police Department in Texas.

Tags bostonnews, brooklyn, Chief Ashley Gonzalez, discrimination, Massachusetts, police chief on leave, policy violation allegations, retaliation, sexual harassment, WCVB

Entertainment

Kevin Spacey ordered to pay $US30 million to House of Cards makers, after judge supports arbitration ruling

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 5, 2022
No Comments on Kevin Spacey ordered to pay $US30 million to House of Cards makers, after judge supports arbitration ruling

A judge has ruled Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay the producers of hit TV show House of Cards nearly $US31 million because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members.

The ruling gives the force of law to a private arbitrator’s decision to award $US30.9 million ($44.3 million) in favor of production company MRC and others.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana wrote that Spacey and his attorneys “fail to demonstrate that this is even a close case” and “do not demonstrate that the damages award was so utterly irrational that it amounts to an arbitrary remaking of the parties’ contracts.”

“We are pleased with the court’s ruling,” MRC attorney Michael Kump said in an email to The Associated Press.

Spacey has denied the allegations through his attorneys and his spokesperson, who did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

The arbitrator found that Spacey violated his contract’s demands for professional behavior by “engaging certain conduct in connection with several crew members in each of the five seasons that he starred in and executive produced House of Cards,” according to a filing from Mr Kump.

As a result, MRC had to fire Spacey, halted production of the show’s sixth season, rewrite it to remove Spacey’s central character, and shorten it from 13 to eight episodes to meet deadlines, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in losses, according to court documents.

Spacey’s attorneys argued in their own filings that the decision to exclude him from the show’s sixth season came before the internal investigation that led the crew members to come forward, and thus was not part of a contract breach.

They argued that the actor’s actions were not a substantial factor in the show’s losses.

The ruling from the private arbitrator came after a legal fight of more than three years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing that was kept secret from the public, along with the rest of the dispute, until a panel of three more private arbitrators rejected Spacey’s appeal. and upheld the decision from November.

The 63-year-old Oscar winner’s career came to an abrupt halt late in 2017 as the #MeToo movement gained momentum and allegations against him emerged from several places.

Spacey was fired or removed from a number of projects, most notably House of Cards, the Netflix political thriller where for five seasons he played lead character Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes US president.

Last month in London, Spacey pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting three men a decade or more ago, when he was director of the Old Vic theater there.

His lawyer said he “strenuously denies” the allegations and he is set to face trial next year.

Another criminal case brought against him, an indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a US resort, was dismissed by Massachusetts prosecutors in 2019.

Spacey also faces lawsuits from other men, including actor Anthony Rapp.

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Kevin Spacey set to face UK trial in June 2023

Tags costs, crew, damages, House of Cards, judge, kevin spacey, losses, makers, Netflix, producers, sexual harassment

Entertainment

Margot Robbie sent Neighbors cast champagne for finale

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 1, 2022
No Comments on Margot Robbie sent Neighbors cast champagne for finale

Hollywood star Margot Robbie has told how she will be “eternally grateful” to soap Neighbors after it launched her acting career.

Margot, 32, who began her TV career as Ramsay Street’s Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011, appeared in the show’s finale, which aired last Thursday.

While the A-lister filmed her scenes for the final show in Los Angeles, she made a sweet gesture to her fellow castmates, sending 37 bottles of champagne to the Melbourne set, as revealed by Neighbors actress Christie Whelan on social media last week, The Sun reports.

Robbie said that the final episode marks “the end of an era”.

Now Hollywood’s highest-paid actress, she said: “I owe so much to neighbors.

“There are so many of us that owe [the show] for giving us a big break.

“It wasn’t just about giving me a break either – it gave me a real chance to work on my craft. It was the perfect training for Hollywood and I will always be eternally grateful.”

thursday’s neighbors finale saw Robbie return alongside a host of other fan favourites, including Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia.

Anne Charleston, who played Ramsay Street legend Madge Bishop, also returned – with her late character appearing as a ghost.

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Remembering her time on the soap, Robbie said it was only when she moved to London that she realized how widespread neighbors‘popularity was.

“It really is an end of an era for fans. When I lived in London, I understood at its peak how big it was. People would come up to me and tell me how they watched it every day after school.”

From fruit farm to Hollywood Hills

The actress, who grew up on a fruit farm on the Gold Coast, moved to LA after leaving neighbors in 2011 and landed a role in US TV show Pan Am.

But it was her part opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street that caught the eye of movie bosses in 2013.

Soon after, she moved to South London where she shared a four-bedroom pad in Clapham with six other friends that they dubbed “The Manor”.

Her housemates were friends she had met filming wartime flick French Suite – including the assistant director and her now-husband Tom Ackerley.

Robbie went on to star in 2015’s focus opposite Will Smith and played The Joker’s girlfriend Harley Quinn in 2016 hitSuicide Squad.

In 2016, she and Ackerley also married, and the following year they swapped their Clapham flat for a $3.6 million villa in Hollywood.

But she said leaving London had not been an easy move for the couple.

She said: “It was such a hard decision to leave, but I just couldn’t keep living out of a suitcase.”

Back in LA, the actress went on to star as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya – which she also produced – and alongside Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron in Bombshell.

Both roles won her Oscar nominations.

She also starred as rising movie star Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywoodappearing with former co-star DiCaprio as well as Brad Pitt.

Next year will see her hit the big screen in neon pink and sky-high heels after she was cast as Barbie in a romantic comedy about the iconic doll.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film also stars Ryan Gosling as Barbie‘s love interest Ken.

Robbie said: “When I read the script, I genuinely thought, ‘This is one of the best scripts I have ever read.’ I needed to be part of this story.

“I remember speaking with Ryan before we started shooting and we were just so excited to be part of this incredible script.

“Whatever people expect the Barbie movie to be like, they need to totally rethink it because Greta has done something special here.

“And Barbie is such a role model. She was a surgeon back in the early ’70s when a tiny percentage of females were applying for medical school.”

It is expected that in the hands of director Greta – whose last films were Lady Bird and Little Women – Barbie will get a thoroughly modern makeover.

‘Things have changed a lot’

It comes after Hollywood’s own makeover in recent years following the #MeToo scandals.

That movement was the focus of 2019 movie Bombshell, which was based on the sexual harassment of women working at Fox News.

Robbie, who starred as Kayla Pospisil, told at the time that it was only while working on the film that she realized what sexual harassment was.

She told Net-A-Porter: “I’m in my late twenties, I’m educated, I’m worldly, I’ve travelled, I have my own business – and I didn’t know. That’s insane.

“I didn’t know that you could say, ‘I have been sexually harassed,’ without someone physically touching you.

“That you could say, ‘That’s not OK.’ I had no idea.”

The actress also said that she has experienced harassment, but “not in Hollywood”, adding: “I struggle to find many women who haven’t experienced sexual harassment on some level.

“So yes, lots of times. And to varying degrees of severity throughout my life.”

Speaking last week, Robbie said: “I think things have changed in Hollywood over the past few years.

“There have been some difficult conversations and very brave people.

“We live in hope that all this courage that has been shown means nothing like this ever happens again.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission

Tags America, Anne Charleston, assistant manager, Australia, Australia and New Zealand, bird, Brad Pitt, California, character appearance, Charlize Theron, Clapham, donna freedman, Europe, fan favorites, final episode marks, four-bedroom pad, FoxNewsChannel, Gold Coast, Greta Gerwig, Guy Pearce, Habia una vez, harley quinn, Holly Valence, Hollywood, Jason Donovan, joker, Leonardo Dicaprio, London, love interests, LOVE ISLAND, margot robbie, movie bosses, Natalie Imbruglia, Net A Porter, Nicole Kidman, North America, Northern America, Northern Europe, Oceania, Queensland, Quentin Tarantino, real chance, role models, Ryan Gosling, sexual harassment, Sharon Tate, South Australia, Tom Ackerley, Tonya Harding, United Kingdom, United States of America, wartime flick, Will Smith

Entertainment

Margot Robbie sent Neighbors cast champagne for finale

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 1, 2022
No Comments on Margot Robbie sent Neighbors cast champagne for finale