Hvad der skulle have været et hyggeligt 20 års-jubilæum for den roste politiske spin-satire ’Wag the Dog’ med filmens stjerner Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro og instruktør Barry Levinson, udviklede sig i går til et voldsomt skænderi mellem Hoffman og den britiske komiker og politiske talkshowvært John Oliver, der hostede aftenens Q&A. Det beretter flere journalister, som var tilstede ved eventen i New York.
20 minutter inde i snakken spurgte Oliver pludselig ind til krænkelsesankalgerne mod Hoffman, der går på, at skuespilleren i 1985 skulle have opført sig upassende overfor den dengang 17-årige produktionsassistent Anna Graham Hunter under optagelserne af ’En sælgers død’. Ifølge Hunter klaskede Hoffman hende bagi, men det nu 80-årige Hollywood-ikon afviste over for John Oliver, at han havde kendt Hunter. Og så begyndte en heftig diskussion.
Steve Zeitchik fra Washington Post rapporterede flittigt på Twitter om den ophedede stemning, og debattens drejning fik John Oliver til at bede publikum om ikke at dokumentere scenerne med mobilerne. Den opfordring var det ikke alle der fulgte, og som det fremgår af nedenstående tweets endte publikum også med at være involverede i ordkløveriet:
John Oliver just went after Dustin Hoffman big time on sexual harassment at this Wag The Dog panel. Hoffman grew visibly uncomfortable. “You weren’t there,” he says to Oliver. “I’m happy I wasn’t,” Oliver replied.
— Steven Zeitchik (@ZeitchikWaPo) 5. december 2017
All hell has now broken loose on this Wag The Dog panel. The subject seemed over after seven minutes but Hoffman brought it up again, saying Oliver is not keeping an “open mind” and is unquestionably believing accusers, and a testy five minutes followed.
— Steven Zeitchik (@ZeitchikWaPo) 5. december 2017
And now the _ audience _ is arguing volubly back and forth about whether Hoffman is upstanding and Oliver should be asking the questions. Not sure I’ve ever seen anything like it at a screening panel.
— Steven Zeitchik (@ZeitchikWaPo) 5. december 2017
Oliver just asked people to stop recording his argument with Hoffman on their phone. “That’s what I hate about the Internet.” But i mean, isn’t that why he brought it up? To have a public conversation?
— Steven Zeitchik (@ZeitchikWaPo) 5. december 2017
This photo was taken before #92Y panel discussion got v heated; John Oliver asked Dustin Hoffman about the sexual assault allegations against him… Hoffman denied knowing the woman. pic.twitter.com/xihbNt50fM
— Laura Podesta (@LauraPodestaTV) 5. december 2017
Læs også: Hollywoods historiske krænkelsesskandaler, der fik enten få eller ingen konsekvenser