Oprah 2020? During Seth Meyers' opening monologue at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, the host toyed with the idea of a possible Oprah Winfrey presidential campaign. When Winfrey took to the stage to accept the Cecil B. de Mille Award, the speech she gave was no joke. And on Monday morning, America woke up with a crazy idea in its perplexed brain: Oprah Winfrey could be the next president of the United States.
Citing in her powerful speech the story of late Recy Taylor, Oprah Winfrey cried: "She lived as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men. For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up. Their time is up."
The harsh reality of these words can only too well relate to the sexual abuse claims currently shaking the country and Hollywood, with big names such as Harvey Weinstein, Russell Simmons, Kevin Spacey, Larry King, Sylvester Stallone, and John Travolta among many more, being brought into the spotlight as sexual predators.
However, one particularly sordid case, originally made public by The Hollywood Reporter, concerns Jeff Herman, the self-proclaimed "nationally-recognized trial lawyer and advocate for survivors of rape, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation".
The big-headed attorney and reported GOP donor might need to alter his modest profile, as it appears he was himself accused of rape by his 19 year-old receptionist in 1998.
The Hollywood Reporter first recounted the rape allegations against Herman in December 2017, and released the full police report filed by the 19 year-old victim 5 days following the attack:
“After taking off his pants she stated that he put his head between her legs, and stated “I want to eat you out” (…) She said stop, and squirmed away (…) Once again she pushed away and told him that she wasn’t going to have sex with him (…) when she refused, he took her hand, and put it on his *****. At that time he said “just finish me off.””
Revoltingly, all allegations were later dropped, and the case was never brought to court, despite what the police recommended, in a now all too common situation of her word against his.
Yes, Oprah Winfrey was right, women are not heard or believed when faced with brutally powerful men.
Ironically, Herman has been the go-to lawyer on sexual abuse cases in Hollywood, recently representing actresses Kadian Noble and Dominique Huett, victims in the now-notorious Harvey Weinstein scandal.
With the #MeToo campaign reaching all-time highs, Herman has been capitalising on the trend, attempting to erase the previous string of embarrassments, lies, and predatory behaviours that have soiled his career.
Unfortunately for Jeff Herman, Oprah Winfrey has declared war against him, and men of his kind. And against the beloved media-mogul, feminist, and American sweetheart she is, the egocentric and conceited attorney does not stand a chance. #Oprah2020