Blanchett warns #MeToo momentum 'got killed very quickly' as Hollywood accountability stalls

Australian actor Cate Blanchett has delivered a stark assessment of the #MeToo movement's trajectory in Hollywood, telling the Cannes Film Festival that the global reckoning over sexual misconduct "got killed very quickly" and that meaningful progress towards gender equality has stalled.

Speaking during a wide-ranging conversation at the prestigious film festival in southern France on Sunday, Blanchett expressed frustration at what she characterised as a reversal of momentum that initially galvanised the industry following allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017.

The stalled conversation around accountability

The Oscar-winning director highlighted a paradox she sees in how the movement has been treated. While those with public platforms and institutional protection can speak about their experiences with relative safety, she argued, broader conversations about systemic abuse have been systematically suppressed.

"It got killed very quickly, which I think is interesting," Blanchett said. "There are a lot of people with platforms who are able to speak up with relative safety and say, 'This has happened to me'. And the so-called average woman on the street, person on the street, is saying 'me too'. Why does that get shut down?"

Her comments arrive amid renewed scrutiny of the #MeToo movement's legacy, as Weinstein faces fresh legal proceedings that continue to test how the industry reckons with its past.

Persistent gender imbalance on film sets

Blanchett, who has emerged as one of Australia's most prominent voices advocating for gender equality in entertainment, pointed to continuing structural problems within the industry. Film sets remain overwhelmingly male-dominated, she noted, suggesting that despite years of activism and awareness campaigns, the fundamental power dynamics that enabled misconduct remain largely unchanged.

The observation underscores a broader concern among industry observers: that initial shock and outrage following the Weinstein revelations translated into limited systemic change. While some high-profile individuals faced consequences, institutional reforms addressing hiring practices, power structures, and accountability mechanisms have been inconsistent.

National and international implications

Blanchett's intervention carries particular weight in the Australian context. As one of the country's most internationally recognised cultural figures, her critique of Hollywood's failure to sustain accountability efforts resonates across the local film and television industries, which mirror many of the same power imbalances.

The Australian entertainment sector has grappled with its own #MeToo reckoning, with several high-profile cases and industry inquiries highlighting systemic issues. Blanchett's comments suggest that without sustained structural reform—rather than symbolic gestures—similar cycles of abuse and suppression may persist.

Questions about institutional will

The actor's assessment raises uncomfortable questions about whether the entertainment industry genuinely committed to change or merely performed accountability during a period of intense public pressure. The fact that conversations about misconduct remain contentious nearly a decade after the movement's emergence suggests the industry's fundamental culture remains resistant to transformation.

This article first appeared on ABC News.