Cate Blanchett says MeToo stalled at Cannes, citing gender inequality

At the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, actress Cate Blanchett stated that the MeToo movement was "killed very quickly" in Hollywood, arguing that significant gender inequality persists in the film industry. Speaking during a staged conversation, the Oscar-winning performer lamented what she described as a turned tide for the movement against sexual abuse and harassment.

Blanchett pointed to a continued imbalance on film sets, saying she conducts a daily headcount. She reported routinely finding about 10 women and 75 men present each morning. She noted that walking into such a homogeneous workplace requires bracing oneself and becomes boring for everyone, adding that she believes it ultimately affects the work produced.

The actress highlighted a disparity between public figures and ordinary women, questioning why the voices of average people saying "MeToo" are often shut down. She argued that the movement revealed a systemic layer of abuse across industries and that shutting down the conversation prevents identifying and solving the problem.

Blanchett has a history of advocacy on these issues at Cannes. In 2018, while serving as president of the festival's jury, she participated...