Comedian D.L. Hughley on #MeToo: Women need to believe women
Comedian D.L Hughley, who hosts a locally syndicated radio show on Classix 102.9, recently addressed the #MeToo movement on BuzzFeed's Facebook series, "Profile."
» RELATED: DL Hughley visits Atlanta, promotes radio show on Classix 102.9
Hughley said the #MeToo movement feels “disingenuous” and criticized women who continue to support powerful men accused of sexual misconduct, including Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Bill Cosby and, most prominently, President Donald Trump. He pointed out that “fifty-two percent of White women voted for a man they believe to be a sexual predator.”
“Men have done horrible things. I’ve never been more ashamed of being a man than I have in the last few weeks but I’ve been taken aback by women. It isn’t that men don’t believe women it’s that women don’t believe women,” he said. But “it isn't that men don't believe women; it's that women don't believe women. Like, women will do better when they start believing in themselves.”
» RELATED: One year after #MeToo: Where do we go from here?
Hughley also elaborated on his recent tweets about convicted rapist Bill Cosby, pointing out that there’s a larger #Y’allToo movement at hand.
#Cosby gets 3-10 years for sexual assault. #Trump admits on tape to sexual assault against women & he becomes president. #Kavanaugh has been accused & yet he’s up for #SupremeCourtJudge. If we’re gonna convict sexual predators to the pen, shouldn’t we convict them all? #TeamDl
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) September 25, 2018
“I'm not saying that Bill Cosby shouldn't be in jail, but I'm saying he should have some company,” the comedian said. “If I was Bill Cosby, I'd start a #Y'allToo movement, and it would have Catholic priests, a Supreme Court justice, and the president.”
» RELATED: Who is Tarana Burke? Meet the woman who started the Me Too movement a decade ago
Viewers had a lot to say about Hughley’s stance.
“He is just speaking the truth, which makes ‘some’ people uncomfortable,” one commenter wrote.
But others felt he was "downplaying" movement and its impact. As BuzzFeed News pointed out, Hughley also failed to mention the founder of the movement, Tarana Burke, who launched #MeToo a decade ago to aid underprivileged women of color affected by sexual abuse.
This is a problem. Why does he have to downplay an impactful and important movement to make a point. #Metoo was started by a black woman to create a platform for other black and brown women. Bill Cosby deserved what he got and so do the others. Bye DL!
— Danisha (@DanishaLomax) October 22, 2018
If you are unaware of @TaranaBurke and her work, maybe don’t comment that the #MeToo movement is “disingenuous” because ignorance never begets insight. Google loves y’all when you use it. https://t.co/fiRpgMdDkW
— Michael Arceneaux (@youngsinick) October 22, 2018


