Words: Joanne Clark | Subbing: Bernadette Galbraith
Stranger Things and IT actor leaves talent agency after allegations of sexual assault by his agent were reported.
Finn Wolfhard, the 14-year-old actor known for his role as Mike Wheeler in the Netflix series, Stranger Things, has left the talent agency APA and agent Tyler Grasham.
The news came after it was reported that two men had come forward with sexual assault allegations against Tyler Grasham. One of the men, Blaise Godbe Lipman, wrote of his own experience on Facebook, without revealing the name of the person who had assaulted him. However, after receiving a Facebook ‘poke’ from Tyler Grasham, Lipman decided to reveal the agent’s name.
Lipman said: “Tyler Grasham, under the pretence of a business meeting regarding potential agency representation at APA agency, fed me alcohol while I was underage and sexually assaulted me.”
Lucas Ozarowski, the second man to talk of experiencing sexual assault by Tyler Grasham, spoke of how what had happened to Blaise Godbe Lipman, had also happened to him.
Allegations against Tyler Grasham follow the publication of the article by the New York Times, where allegations of sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein over the course of ten years were reported. Following the publication, Weinstein was fired from The Weinstein Company, the company that Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein founded.
After the publication, more people have come forward to talk of their experiences of sexual harassment in the industry, with people using the hashtag #MeToo to share their stories.
The decision by Finn Wolfhard to leave the agency has been met with support, from those who feel that other actors should follow suit.
When a fourteen year old knows what's the right thing to do.
Adulting is overrated. https://t.co/7L2BV7prUR
— richa singh (@richa_singh) October 21, 2017
2017. When America’s moral compass is a 14-year old. https://t.co/lK9o0lr9y3
— Bill Weir (@BillWeirCNN) October 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/jamiekcnn/status/921554097928654849
https://twitter.com/strngrspidey/status/921740527405621248
These allegations of sexual harassment and assault are revealing more and more the potential abuse of power within the entertainment industry.