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Posted: Tue, 18 Dec 2018 06:55:02 GMT

A massive wave of support has flowed for Orange is the New Black actress Yael Stone after her “compelling, articulate and brave” interview on ABC’s 7.30 last night.

The Australian star was trending on social media, as Australians reacted to her addressing sexual harassment allegations surrounding her time working with Hollywood star Geoffrey Rush.

However, she was widely praised for her eloquent comments on the wider issues surrounding consent issues and power imbalances in the workplace.

Rush denies all allegations and said he regretted causing Stone any distress.

Stone said her decision-making process to speak publicly started about a year ago and she had some really strong “dark nights of the soul” agonising over it.

She said her decision was in the public’s interest and she wanted to be a good role model for her daughter.

“Anecdotally we can look and see whenever women particularly speak up about issues like this their career generally suffers,” she said.

“I’ve factored that into my calculations and if that happens, I think it’s worth it.

“I have a very young baby girl and I want to say to her one day, it was hard but I did it anyway.”

Women flooded social media sharing their own experiences about feeling like they could not speak up.

Fairfax journalist Kate McClymont summed it up this morning in saying: “Actress Yael Stone’s interview … is a must watch — and not for the so-called ‘explosive revelations’ but for the articulate and compelling way in which she outlined the hazards of negotiating unwanted advances from powerful men knowing who will suffer.”

ABC journalist Annabel Crabb said it was “one of the most nuanced and articulate explanations of workplace sexual politics I’ve heard. Amazing interview”.

Many others agreed with comments like, “She’s brilliant. No blame game, no victimisation, no name-hurling, no moral crusade, no sweeping statements or conflation of harmless behaviours with harmful ones. Brava!”

And: “This was absolutely compelling, measured and calm, contextualised, free of victim rhetoric and hype and very, very powerful.”

Stone spoke about how consent was a complicated issue that needed to be addressed.

“I think that talking in this way about the complexities of these issues is really critical for us to all move forward collectively, culturally to make a healthier world around this kind of stuff,” she said.

“(Consent is) almost impossible in a dynamic where the power is so drastically imbalanced.

And I would say in any working environment, where there is that imbalance of power, the subordinate doesn’t have a great opportunity for expressing themselves freely.

“So the onus is on the more powerful person not to put the subordinate in that position.”

Stone said in most industries the powerful person was supported, and that was a cultural issue that needed to be shifted.

She also said she had sympathy for Rush and that she hoped good would come of his situation.

“If you’re constantly being told certain behaviour is OK, and no one ever stops it, there are no checks and balances on it, then it’s right to assume that you can continue with that behaviour,” she said.

“So I’ve great sympathy for the fact that certain behaviour has been allowed, if not encouraged, along the way.

“Suddenly a lot of people have stood up and said, ‘No’.

“Now I think that’s a really important step to stand up and say no. But I think we would do well to have sympathy for what that huge gear shift feels like on the other side.

“I would like to see a world where we can work together, to mend that huge rift.

“I think that we can work interpersonally and I think we can also work at a systematic level.”

One woman on social media said how Stone described consent and power imbalances should be written down and put into law.

Others on social media came out in support of Rush, saying they would like to hear his side of the story.

ABC said Rush declined an interview, instead providing a statement.

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