David Schwimmer says comparing Al Franken with Harvey Weinstein was 'terrible and horrifying mistake'

'We should not conflate all claims into one column of bad behaviour'

David Schwimmer has said it’s a “terrible – and horrifying – mistake” to lump in individuals such as former Democratic senator Al Franken with “the Harvey Weinsteins of the world”.

The Friends star argued that the “spectrum of bad behaviour” was not being recognised, telling Esquire: “I am not excusing any individual’s inappropriate or criminal behaviour here, just pointing out that there is a difference between these two men and their actions—and that difference is critical.”

“We should not conflate all claims into one column of bad behaviour. What concerns me is the frequent disregard of facts, context, evidence, and the rule of law. In this current climate, condemnation is swift and merciless.”

Franken resigned as senator after multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims of groping. He refuted some of the allegations as “simply not true”, while others he said he “remembered very differently”.

Schwimmer criticised the current atmosphere of the #MeToo movement as “too contentious to achieve real progress”, claiming that “real change, real reform, is difficult right now because most men are not going to come to the table when every word spoken is scrutinised and could result in them being pilloried.”

“Men have to recognise that for a long time our opinions have dominated,” he said. “We should expect criticism, but it should be responsible.”

He also said the accusations of “witch hunt” often thrown around in reference to the #MeToo movement had a “ring of truth”. He said: “What’s to stop a woman I dated fifteen or twenty years ago from coming forward and claiming she ‘felt’ I pressured her into sex? Or, worse, sexually assaulted her?.”

He did not offer an explanation as to why a woman would feel motivated to come forward with a false claim, considering the incredible amount of abuse and distrust victims face.

“I feel somewhat powerless because of the current climate. This is why the phrase ‘witch hunt’ has been invoked; innocent men feel defenceless,” he said.

Schwimmer’s comments sat in the context of a discussion with Esquire Editor in Chief Jay Fielden, which drew on the actor’s experience as an activist against violence towards women; in 2004, he joined the board of directors of the Rape Foundation in Santa Monica.

Last spring, he produced That’s Harassment, a series of six short videos that aim to educate on workplace sexual misconduct in its more subtle, insidious forms. “It was imperative to me that we offer real, practical solutions to companies and employers,” he said of the video series.

“Unfortunately, I also see many companies and individuals scrambling to cover their asses, lawyer up, craft carefully worded talking points, donate money to various organizations to offset bad behavior, and in general operate from a place of genuine confusion and terror.”

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