The last few months have rocked the Hollywood establishment, as brave women opened up about a culture of harassment and abuse and named the men who’ve perpetuated it for so long. Seizing on a cultural moment that’s echoing far beyond Hollywood, the women behind Time’s Up organized a blackout of the 2018 Golden Globes red carpet. In a sign of solidarity with victims of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry and beyond, the women of Hollywood lit up the night in every shade of black.
It’s still the Golden Globes: The stars on the carpet are glittering and the drinks will be flowing inside the Beverly Hilton. But the night is no ordinary red carpet, and the statements from the stars have reflected that.
Unsurprising for anyone who follows her on Twitter, Debra Messing was the first actress to go there.
“I’m wearing black to thank and honor the brave whistleblowers who came forward to share their stories of harassment and discrimination,” Messing told E! News’ Giuliana Rancic. “I’m wearing black to stand in solidarity with my sisters all over the world and to celebrate the roll out of this powerful initiative.”
She also didn’t shy away from sharing her feelings on recent revelations about pay disparity at the network, even while she was being interviewed on that network. “I was so shocked to hear that E! doesn’t believing in paying their female co-hosts the same as their male co-hosts,” Messing said. “I miss Catt Sadler.”
Dress color aside, the biggest trend on the red carpet was Hollywood actresses sharing their platform with special guests. In a welcome change from the usual red carpet patter, each actress stepped aside to let the activists speak. Meryl Streep brought Ai-jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Laura Dern brought Monica Ramirez, co-founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesina and advocate for women in farmwork. Emma Watson’s guest, Marai Larasi, is the executive director of Imkaan, and a black feminist activist in the U.K. Most notably, Michelle Williams brought Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement.
“We’re saying women in Hollywood have an opportunity to amplify the voices of other women,” Burke told Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet.
As Seacrest interviewed Michelle Williams, she drew attention to the work Burke has been doing and “the work I am learning to do.” Sarah Jessica Parker made similar remarks, thanking the activists who have come before her. The work of activism continues after Sunday night, work that was started by these activists far from the red carpet. It was encouraging to hear the stars acknowledge that.
Kelly Clarkson in Christian Siriano
Kelly Clarkson in Christian SirianoFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Debra Messing in Christian Siriano
Debra MessingFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton & Tarana Burke
Michelle Williams and Tarana BurkeFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Meryl Streep in Vera Wang & Ai-jen Poo
Meryl Streep and NDWA Director Ai-jen PooFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Angelina Jolie in Versace
Angelia JolieFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Laura Dern in Armani Prive
Laura DernFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs
Tracee Ellis RossFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Ryan Michelle Bathe in Dolce & Gabbana
Ryan Michelle Bathe with Sterling K. BrownFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Issa Rae in Prabal Gurung
Issa RaeFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton
Alicia VikanderFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Chrissy Metz
Chrissy MetzFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Alison Brie
Alison Brie Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Laurie Metcalf in Sachin & Babi
Laurie Metcalf Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Kerry Washington in Prabal Gurung
Kerry WashingtonFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Halle Berry in Zuhair Murad
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Connie Britton in Lingua Franca and Max Mara
Connie BrittonFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Greta Gerwig
Greta GerwigFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Diane Kruger
Diane KrugerFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Caitriona Balfe
Caitriona BalfeFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton and Billie Jean King
Emma Stone and Billie Jean KingFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
America Ferrera in Christian Siriano & Natalie Portman in Dior
America Ferrera & Natalie PortmanFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Sarah Jessica Parker in Dolce & Gabbana
Sarah Jessica ParkerFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Jessica Biel in Dior
Jessica BielFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent
Zoë KravitzFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Marai Larasi & Emma Watson
Imkaan Executive Director Marai Larasi and Emma WatsonFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Saoirse Ronan in Versace
Saoirse RonanFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Mariah Carey in Dolce & Gabbana
Mariah Carey Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Kate Hudson in Valentino
Kate HudsonFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen & Eva Longoria in Genny
Reese Witherspoon & Eva LongoriaFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Emilia Clarke
Emilia ClarkeFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Mary J. Blige in Alberta Ferretti
Mary J. BligeFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Amy Poehler & Saru Jayaraman
Amy Poehler and Saru JayaramanFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Gal Godot in Tom Ford
Gal GodotFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Viola Davis in Brandon Maxwell
Viola DavisFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Rachel Brosnahan in Vionnet
Rachel BrosnahanFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Nicole Kidman in Givenchy
Nicole KidmanFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Millie Bobby Brown in Calvin Klein
Millie Bobby BrownFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Octavia Spencer
Octavia SpencerFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Catherine Zeta-Jones in Zuhair Murad
Catherine Zeta-JonesFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Sharon Stone in Vitor Zerbinato
Sharon Stone and Roan Stone Frazer Harrison/Getty Images