Entertainment

John Lithgow: Hollywood still making sense of sexual assault scandal

He said “a lot of things are happening that needed to happen”.
He said “a lot of things are happening that needed to happen”. He said “a lot of things are happening that needed to happen”.

Actor John Lithgow has said Hollywood is still trying to make sense of the litany of sexual assault allegations against some of its biggest names.

Fresh claims were made against Kevin Spacey on Thursday following a scandal which first broke when film producer Harvey Weinstein was alleged to have assaulted a number of actresses.

Asked what he made of the avalanche of accusations against a number of stars, Lithgow said “a lot of things are happening that needed to happen”.

“Hollywood is in the middle of an enormous upheaval. It happened so fast and I don’t think anybody has quite made sense of it yet,” he told the Press Association.

“I think we have to just weather the storm, a lot of things are happening that needed to happen.”

On Thursday, the Old Vic London theatre said it “truly apologises” to anyone affected after an internal investigation resulted in 20 people claiming they experienced inappropriate behaviour by former artistic director Spacey.

Will Ferrell and John Lithgow
Will Ferrell and John Lithgow (Vianney Le Caer/AP/PA Images)
Actors Will Ferrell, left, and John Lithgow pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film Daddy’s Home 2, in London (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Lithgow was speaking as he took to the red carpet in central London for the premiere of Daddy’s Home 2 alongside co-stars Mel Gibson, Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell.

The sequel to the 2015 film sees former rivals Dusty (Wahlberg) and Brad (Ferrell) join forces to provide their children with the perfect Christmas.

But the arrival of their fathers, Lithgow and Gibson, throws a spanner in the works.

The Christmas comedy, directed by Sean Anders, will be released on November 22.