Seth MacFarlane says his 2013 Harvey Weinstein joke 'came from a place of loathing'

(Image credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images)

last updated 12 October 2017

Actor and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane explained on Wednesday why he made a jab at Harvey Weinstein while announcing Academy Award nominations in 2013, saying it "came from a place of loathing and anger."

In 2013, after naming the women nominated for best supporting actress, MacFarlane quipped: "Congratulations! You five ladies no longer have to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein." On Twitter, MacFarlane said his friend and colleague Jessica Barth told him in 2011 about an "encounter with Harvey Weinstein and his attempted advances." With all of Hollywood watching as he announced the nominations, MacFarlane said he "couldn't resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction."

MacFarlane applauded Barth and the other women who have come forward with their allegations of sexual misconduct by Weinstein, adding, "there is nothing more abhorrent and indefensible than abuse of power such as this." Several people responded to MacFarlane on Twitter, asking why he didn't say anything to Weinstein, but Barth came to his defense, tweeting: "To the people slamming Seth for not 'doing' anything, please STOP! He stood by me and respected my wishes that he not retaliate in any way." She followed up with another tweet praising MacFarlane: "To everyone bad mouthing Seth, how about applauding him for being one of FEW men in Hollywood speaking out."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox