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Sophia Bush Isn't Afraid to Speak Truth to Power


This article is part of a series profiling the inspiring women of Together Live, a band of all-female storytellers who will travel across the U.S. this fall, spreading love, laughter, and hope. In 10 cities, big and small, the intimate one-night-only events serve as a reminder that no matter what divides us, women are strongest when we come together. Learn more about Together Live here—and get excited to join the party.

You may remember Sophia Bush as the it-girl of the early aughts. Starring as Brooke on the teen juggernaut, One Tree Hill, and as Beth in the ultimate revenge film, John Tucker Must Die—the media feverishly covered her every move. But what they weren’t writing about was what was happening beneath the surface—the fact that Bush was coming into her own as an activist. Bush first became vocal about humanitarian causes in regard to the environment, but since has spoken out about everything from the harassment she’s experienced on sets, to voting rights. Last year she participated in the viral hashtag #WhyIDidntReport movement—thanking Christine Blasey Ford and sharing her own experience of assault. Before that, she was also a founding member of Time’s Up.

Here, Bush let’s us in on the people who have told her to not speak out, but rather to stay in her lane, and why she refused to listen.

Glamour: You’ve been a loud and proud advocate for the causes close to your heart, whether it’s your work with Time’s Up or I Am a Voter. How did you first decide to trust your voice, and fight for the things you care about?

Sophia Bush: In my experience, the truth itself has an energy, like a drum beat. It makes noise inside of me. And there is nothing to do but speak it. It will never quiet down, nor should it. I’ve always been outspoken about justice, but I do remember when that personal tendency went public after Deepwater Horizon and the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster it caused. As a lifelong lover of this planet of ours, I was incensed at the environmental injustice I was witnessing. And I still am! We have so much work to do. But the work won’t get done if we don’t first have the conversation about the issue at hand. That’s step number one. And we can take our action steps from there.



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Jennifer Aniston Is Teaming Up With Parkland Survivors to Speak Out About Gun Control


Jennifer Aniston has been one of the most famous women in the world since the ’90s. But while the press was focused on her personal life and Friends fame, few established where Aniston stands on important issues. When you speak to Aniston, though, it’s clear she feels passionately—about gun control, about our country’s future, and about finding the right moment to speak out.

Enter WE Day, an event that brings together young people dedicated to making a difference with world-renowned speakers, celebrities, and performers to kick off a year of social action. At this year’s event, which took place in California in April, Aniston teamed up with Parkland survivors Cameron Kasky and Jaclyn Corin. (A one-hour special about WE Day airs this Friday on ABC.)

For Aniston, it was a chance to work with future leaders. “It’s just an incredible thing to be amongst these young powerful people who are our future and making a difference,” she tells Glamour. “It’s wonderful to sit back and actually know that we’re going to be OK because of this generation.”

To say the actress was impressed by the young people she met, including Kasky and Corin, would be a massive understatement. “I think it’s just remarkable to watch what’s happened [after the Parkland shooting],” she says. “I just think, ‘Thank god.’ You know, as I watched what these kids were doing I told my team that I wanted to get involved, but I didn’t know what that looked like. Was it a documentary? What was it? I knew I didn’t want it to be celebrity-fueled. I wanted to hear the voices of these kids.”

“I think that growing up in the digital age or the social media age has given them a voice to connect people,” she continues. “Sometimes there’s just not that human contact thanks to phones, but this generation is using it in a different way. I really think that people from both parties are listening. It just feels different, like there has been an actual shift.”

As for the issue of gun control itself, Aniston is a long-time supporter. “We’ve been doing things for a while, like PSAs [about the issue], ads, and it hasn’t worked. I just don’t know why this is such a hard issue to fix,” she says. “It seems like it should be simpler. Nobody is trying to take away the right to bear arms. It’s just about adding a little structure around it and making it harder to buy a gun than to drive a car, you know?”

Of course, Kasky and Corin are happy to have Aniston on their side. “We’re so happy she’s working with us on this,” Kasky told Glamour. Corin agrees, “We’re grateful she’s using the platform that she’s created in another way to amplify the voices of the young people, because that’s what is really important.”

“We sometimes get starstruck,” Kasky continues. “Like there was one young woman from Memphis who has been helping the homeless people in that city, or thousands of others like her who are helping the world because they want to make it better.”

The pair, who are two of the leading voices in the March for Our Lives movement, shared strategies with some of other activists taking part in WE Day and spoke about their plans for community outreach, which took the form of the Road to Change bus tour across America this summer.

“The most important thing is getting to see other students who have seen what we’ve done and want to seek out the leadership positions that we were thrust into,” Kasky says. “That gives us energy, them stepping into the positions of leadership. Pleasant comments on the Internet are nice, but what really energizes us and keeps us going is seeing other kids taking action, like with the walkouts across the country on March 14.”

“We’re going to people, doing face-to-face educating, and making sure people are voting,” Corin adds. “That’s our plan for the summer and after—all the way through the midterms and beyond too.”

The WE Day 2018 special airs on ABC on August 17, 8 PM ET.



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Ivanka Trump Calls Family Separations A 'Low Point,' but Twitter Wonders Why She Didn't Speak up Sooner


Despite positioning herself as a champion for women’s rights, Ivanka Trump has repeatedly drawn criticism for refusing to speak out against some of her father’s most controversial viewpoints. (Remember SNL’s “Complicit” perfume ad?)

Most recently, critics noted how conspicuously quiet she’d been on the topic of the family separations that resulted from the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy. But on Thursday, she broke her silence and said the issue was “a low point” for her.

During an event with the news site Axios, Trump, who is also an advisor to the White House, shared her thoughts on separations at the border, which have splintered nearly 2,700 parents and children. An interviewer remarked that some administration officials have come to regard the policy as a “low point.”

“That was a low point for me as well,” she said. “I feel very strongly about that. And I am very vehemently against family separation and the separation of parents and children.”

She went on to describe illegal immigration as an “incredibly complex” topic, but didn’t offer further insight or potential approaches the administration could take. “These are not easy issues; these are incredibly difficult issues,” she said. “And like the rest of the country, I experience them in a very emotional way.”

Trump has been tight-lipped on immigration in the past. In 2017, after the president announced he would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, she again described the issue as “complicated” and called on Congress to act.

On social media, many people wondered why Trump has waited so long to to share her views about family separations, especially since she held opposing beliefs. According to some reports, Trump had donated $50,000 to a church helping to care for migrant children, but she never used her position to publicly denounce the policy while children were still being forcibly removed from their parents. She was even slammed at one point for posting what some called a “tone-deaf” photo holding her son amid the crisis.

In the same interview, someone also asked Trump if she believed the media was “the enemy of the people,” as her father has suggested in the past. She seemed to split from her dad yet again, claiming she does not share that opinion.

“I’ve certainly received my fair share of reporting on me personally that I know not to be fully accurate, so I have some sensitivity around why people have concerns and gripe, especially when they’re sort of targeted,” Ms. Trump said. “But no, I do not feel that the media is the enemy of the people.”

A few hours later, her father chimed in on the interview with a tweet that read, “They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said no. It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people!”

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Larry Nassar is Back in Court, Where More Than 60 Women Are Scheduled to Speak


As of Wednesday, Larry Nassar is officially back in court—this time in Eaton County, Michigan—for yet another round of sentencing. Yes, Nassar has already been sentenced to 40-175 years in prison in Ingham County, but this new courtroom appearance relates to an entirely different case brought against the former USA Gymnastics doctor.

The details of the new case: While last week’s sentencing primarily centered on sexual abuse during Nassar’s time at Michigan State University, the Eaton County case is focused on women who allege that Nassar abused them at Twistars Gymnastics Club. Nassar has already entered a guilty plea in this case (similar to last week’s proceedings) and the plea agreement calls for a minimum of 25-40 years in prison. Though this case was only brought against Nassar by three plaintiffs, any and all victims of Nassar are invited to make impact statements. This includes any of the women who already delivered statements at the last week’s sentencing, where an unprecedented 150 women spoke out. (In the Michigan courtroom today, a judge said that 265 women have accused Nassar of abuse in all.)

Twistars, where survivors allege the sexual abuse occurred, is a gym that was run by 2012 Olympic coach John Geddert, who has also been accused of abuse. Survivors have described a pattern where Geddert would physically abuse them and then push them to seek treatment from his good friend, Nassar. Geddert has been suspended by USA Gymnastics and retired from Twistars, but it’s likely that survivors in the courtroom throughout the coming days will mention him as well as Nassar.

Who is slated to appear in the courtroom: The New York Times estimates that over 65 women will share impact statements during the Eaton County hearing, though that number may grow. The sentencing hearing is set to begin Friday morning and continue through Monday and Tuesday of next week, giving an opportunity for more survivors to speak.

In the courtroom today, more than 30 women (including some who have chosen to remain anonymous) shared their stories and addressed Nassar directly. Among them was Annie Labrie, who warned the court, “A pedophile cannot flourish in the way Larry did and in an environment that is not conducive to his behavior. It is imperative we as society do not view this as an isolated incident.” Katherine Ebert also spoke in the courtroom, telling Nassar: “You are the most vile, disgusting creature I have ever met. There are black holes in my memory that come back as nightmares or flashbacks, not wanting to believe they’re true.”

There will reportedly be some overlap in the women appearing in the courtroom to make statements—like 17-year-old Jessica Thomashow, who was the first to speak today—but Olympians like Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney aren’t expected to appear.

One key similarity—a female judge: A central element in the Ingham County case was the incredible work by presiding Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who became a pillar of support for the young women. One of her most notable lines, “Leave your pain here and go out and do your magnificent things,” became a rallying cry. In Eaton County, the sentencing is being presided over by Judge Janice K. Cunningham, and while she has yet to exhibit the same oratorial style of Judge Aquilina, she is presiding over a courtroom that will welcome as many statements as survivors wish to give, and today’s statements have already proved heart wrenching.

To be sure, the legacy of last week’s powerful testimonies is certainly felt in the courtroom and by those survivors who have chosen to speak in Eaton. And it is no less important that their voices be heard. Tiffany Dutton addressed this directly today, saying, “On this day, I’ve decided to fully relinquish my anonymity as a symbol to myself that there is absolutely nothing I have to be ashamed or afraid of.” She told the court, “Due to the bravery and courage of the many women who appeared in Ingham County to face our predator, I am no longer fearful. To all of them I will be ever grateful.”

We’ll be following the events in the courtroom—and spotlighting these brave women and teenagers’ stories—as the hearings in Eaton County progress this week.

READ MORE: ‘It Ends Now’: The Survivors of Larry Nassar, in Their Own Words



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Rose McGowan and Asia Argento Speak Out Against Golden Globes Protest


Sunday’s Golden Globes marked what many hope will be a sea change for women, not only in Hollywood, but across all industries. Hollywood’s A-list actresses stood in solidarity, most opting to wear black, to visually speak out against the the mistreatment and harassment of women—both physically and financially. Some brought activists as their guests, like #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and Aj-jen Poo, the leader of the Domestic Workers Alliance.

The rallying cry for most was “Time’s Up” which is also the name of the action plan (and legal defense fund) started by 300 of Hollywood’s most powerful women. Pins were worn, conversations were started, Oprah brought us all to our feet—and women were at the center of it all. For the most part, the evening was a uniting force whether you were in the room or watching at home on TV (and Twitter!)

PHOTO: Rena Laverty/AFP/Getty Images

Rose McGowan

But not everyone agreed with the methods and the message. An interesting conversation emerged in a Twitter thread that started with Asia Argento responding to a tweet from Rose McGowan, “No one should forget that you were the first one who broke the silence. Anyone who tries to diminish your work is a troll and an enemy of the movement. You gave me the courage to speak out. I am on your side until I die.” Both actresses were early (and important) on-the-record accusers of Harvey Weinstein. McGowan also pointed fingers at what she described as “Hollywood fakery,” tweeting that none of the “fancy people wearing black to honor our rapes” would have done a thing about them if she and Argento had not spoken out.

Argento went on to say that she was not invited to be part of the Globes, with another Weinstein accuser, Rosanna Arquette, adding that she and others were left out as well. (Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd, who both spoke out about their own experiences with Weinstein, did attend the red carpet and the ceremony.)

Argento went even further saying that she was not consulted about Time’s Up or signing the initial letter of support, but that she does still believe in the cause.

No movement in history is without complications, and we only hope that everyone’s voices continue to be heard.





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Meryl Streep Wants Ivanka and Melania Trump to Speak Up


In a joint interview with Tom Hanks published in The New York Times Wednesday, Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep got candid and shared her thoughts on sexual misconduct in Hollywood, Harvey Weinstein, and the silence of Melania and Ivanka Trump amid the #MeToo movement.

The interview revolved around Streep and Hank’s new movie The Post, though Times reporter Cara Buckley shifted the conversation to the backlash Streep faced last year for not speaking out against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein more quickly, after many actresses came forward and accused him of sexual misconduct. Although Streep released a statement about Weinstein three days after the allegations surfaced, many criticized her for initially remaining quiet.

In response to Buckley’s questions about her silence, Streep said, “I don’t want to hear about the silence of me. I want to hear about the silence of Melania Trump. I want to hear from her. She has so much that’s valuable to say. And so does Ivanka. I want her to speak now.”

Streep explained that after first hearing about the Weinstein scandal, she “went home deep into my own life.” Then she heard the public was waiting for her to respond.

“I don’t have a Twitter thing or – handle, whatever. And I don’t have Facebook. I really had to think. Because it really underlined my own sense of cluelessness, and also how evil, deeply evil, and duplicitous, a person he was, yet such a champion of really great work,” she said.

Streep has publicly criticized Donald Trump before, notably during a Golden Globes speech last year in which she called the president out for mocking a disabled reporter. Her comments about Melania and Ivanka reflect wider criticism that the First Lady and First Daughter haven’t said enough about sexual harassment. Ivanka’s few comments on the topic came during a speech Tokyo, in which she said that “all too often, our workplace culture fails to treat women with appropriate respect” and that harassment should “never be tolerated.” Neither of them has addressed allegations of harassment that Trump faces.

Buckley also asked Hanks what he thought of the #MeToo movement, and he admitted that he too had participated in crude language worthy of a baseball locker room while at work. Streep piped up that there “shouldn’t be the idea of a locker room.”

“The payload is unloaded on women, because that’s the last group it’s kind of OK to demean, degrade,” she said.

Read the rest of the interview here.

MORE: I’m Ready to Say #MeToo—Now Men Need to Say ‘I’m Sorry’



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