Dakota Johnson calls 'cancel culture a f*****g downer'. Image Source: NME
"Fifty Shades of Grey”, actress Dakota Johnson recently shared her thoughts and views on the ‘cancel culture’ of the industry after she was asked about her former co-stars being accused of assault during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter which was published on Wednesday.
The actress addressed the allegations of sexual misconduct against her former co-stars Johnny Depp, Shia LaBeouf, and Armie Hammer, where she mentioned that she had never experienced anything ‘firsthand and had an incredible time working with all three of them.
Dakota Johnson further mentioned, "I feel sad for the loss of great artists", pointing out that the allegations have impacted the careers of the men accused. She also acknowledged the victims involved in the scandal, saying, "I feel sad for people needing help and perhaps not getting it in time. I feel sad for anyone who was harmed or hurt. It’s just really sad." But she also made sure to clarify her point by stating that various aspects of Hollywood are ‘antiquated’, especially when it comes to equality and diversity, "there’s definitely a major overcorrection happening." She added, "I do believe that people can change. I want to believe in the power of a human being to change and evolve and get help and help other people."
According to reports by The Hollywood Reporter, Dakota Johnson calls the "cancel culture a f*****g downer" and says that she hates that term. Dakota Johnson believes that a cultural ‘refresh’ is needed in major studios to accelerate change in the industry. The 'Black Mass' actress said, "The way that studios have been run up until now, and still now, is behind. It is such an antiquated mindset of what movies should be made, who should be in them, how much people should get paid, what equality and diversity look like. Sometimes the old school needs to be moved out for the new school to come in."
With this, she becomes one of the celebrities who have spoken about the cancel culture in the industry, as Johnny Depp also mentioned in September about the cancel culture while attending a highly regarded Spanish film festival to receive an award, saying he believes it has become pervasive in society and that he is a victim of it.
According to The Associated Press, Johnny Depp said, "It’s a very complex situation, this cancel-culture, or this instant rush to judgment based on essentially what amounts to polluted air. It’s got so far out of hand that, I can assure you, no one is safe. Not one of you, so long as someone is willing to say one thing."
Shia LaBeouf and FKA Twigs met in 2018 and in December 2019 FKA Twigs filed a case against the actor. Image Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Dakota Johnson worked with Shia LaBeouf in 2019’s "The Peanut Butter Falcon". Ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs, for abuse and sexual battery, has accused Shia LaBeouf. In her interview with Elle, FKA Twigs explained the "calculated, systematic, tricky, and mazelike" tactics LaBeouf would use to control her—the love bombing, the gaslighting, the social isolation, the sleep deprivation. She stated, "If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water, that frog is going to jump out straightaway. Whereas, if you put a frog in cool water and heat it up slowly, that frog is going to boil to death. That was my experience being with [LaBeouf]."
FKA Twigs revealed that her and Shia LaBeouf's violent relationship came to a head over Valentine's Day weekend in 2019 after they went to a hotel spa. In a disturbing legal case she filed against the actor in December of last year, she detailed the events of that fatal night. After drifting off to sleep in the hotel, the singer awoke to discover LaBeouf atop her, forcefully crushing her arms, according to the lawsuit.
"If you don't stop, you're going to lose me," he said as he wrapped his hands around her neck and began strangling her. She claims that the violence continued the next morning when Shia LaBeouf threw her to the ground outside their hotel. She claims that while inside LaBeouf's car and traveling back to his Los Angeles home, the actor began driving erratically, demanding that twigs confess her love for him. Twigs recall bracing for the force of the impending crash as he sped into traffic at an astonishing pace, with cars blaring all around them. "I was thinking to myself, ‘I wonder what would happen to my body...if [we] smashed into a wall at 80 miles per hour?’ I was looking for the airbag and I couldn’t see the airbag sign, so I was thinking, ‘If he doesn’t have an airbag, will this car crush my sternum?’ "
FKA Twigs said that she survived the abusive relationship with luck.
Armie Hammer is seeking treatment for drug, sex, and alcohol difficulties. Image Source: Vanity Fair
Armie Hammer accused an alleged former boyfriend of rape and emotional abuse while speaking about him. A woman who claims to have had an intimate relationship with him set up an Instagram account to document the terrible details of their odd sexual encounters. The lady has also given screenshots of purportedly sexual Instagram DM chats between Hammer and other women. The actor's ex-girlfriend backed up some of the allegations leveled against him, discussing their sexual connection, his domineering personality, and the emotional abuse she claims she suffered while with him.
While the public's attention has been drawn to his sexual proclivities, ranging from BDSM to "drinking blood," "cutting toes," and claimed "cannibalism," the true focus should be on the women who claim he assaulted and violated them. Some charges suggest abuse, clear boundary violations, and disrespect for permission. Armie Hammer’s lawyer, who has described to them as “bullshit assertions”, has disputed the women’s allegations.
A woman accused Armie Hammer of rape in March, which he swiftly denied through his lawyer. Armie Hammer's talent agency dropped him after the controversy, and it has subsequently been claimed that he is seeking treatment for drug, sex, and alcohol difficulties. He has refuted all charges of sexual misbehavior. Dakota Johnson collaborated with Armie Hammer on "The Social Network" in 2010 and "Wounds" in 2019.
Johnny Depp has been accused of verbal and physical abuse by ex-wife Amber Heard. Image Source: PEOPLE
Lastly, the actress worked with Pirates of the Caribbean actor, Johnny Depp, in 2015's "Black Mass". He has been accused of verbal and physical abuse by ex-wife Amber Heard and has mentioned, "He demeaned me anytime I tried to wear anything that could be seen as sexy, calling me a ‘whore,’ ‘slut,’ ‘fame-hungry’ and ‘an attention whore,’ it got worse over time. He started saying things like, ‘Well, I’m going to have to watch you get raped’ and ‘I hope you get railed by a bunch of f–king fellas. Sometimes he used racial epithets about the men I would be — or deserved to be — assaulted by". The actress also alleged while speaking in court at the time, "Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally, or just by losing control and going too far."
Where actors like Shia LaBeouf and Armie Hammer have kept very low profiles amid their scandals this year, Johnny Depp spoke about the cancellation culture mentioned above.
