#MeToo activist Alyssa Milano says her peers need to look at former Vice President Joe Biden in a different light because he was “raised in a family that was super-affectionate.”
The Hollywood actress told MSNBC on Monday that a recent conversation with Mr. Biden convinced her to “emphasize the difference” in claims against any given man.
Mr. Biden, who launched his 2020 presidential campaign, was accused by former Nevada Assemblywoman Lucy Flores and a handful of other women of inappropriate behavior — sniffing hair other invasions of personal space.
“I can tell you what he said to me privately, which I think for me I wish more men in positions of power would say out loud,” Ms. Milano said, Twitchy reported. “He said to me, ’I’m willing to learn. I’m willing to listen. I didn’t realize that I was too affectionate.’ I think that this brings up a really important question that we haven’t really touched on #MeToo. Often, in these moments when we’re hearing these stories, it’s important to emphasize the difference in these stories.”
“For me, the thing that set this story, the Ms. Flores story, apart from all the other stories, is, um, to Joe this was a cultural difference because culturally he was raised in a family that was super affectionate,” she continued. “So, for him, this was a realization of, ’well, everyone sort of grows up in a different household and maybe my actions make other people uncomfortable.’”
The actress said it was “important” that women share their experiences with Mr. Biden, and that #MeToo has changed the way she behaves as well.
“It changes my interactions as well,” she said. “I mean, I’m a very affectionate person. I walked onto set a few weeks ago and I kissed our prop guy on the arm and I had this moment of like, ’maybe that made him uncomfortable.’ Whereas that would’ve never crossed my mind before #MeToo. So, I think we all have to look at our interactions and proceed cautiously.”
Mr. Biden insists he did nothing criminal during his interactions with women, although he told ABC’s “The View” last week that he should be more mindful of invading an individual’s personal space.
“I have to be more careful and including whether I sit down next to somebody, and I was not invited to sit down,” he said April 26. “That’s my responsibility. I have to be more aware. It’s totally legitimate for someone not to have to say, “No, no, don’t get into my private space.” It’s my job. It’s my job to read, no, no, this is space no one wants me to invade.
.@Alyssa_Milano defends Biden: “He was raised in a family that was super affectionate.”
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 29, 2019
Adds she knows what it’s like: “I walked onto set a few weeks ago and I kissed our prop guy on the arm. And I had this moment of, like, maybe that made him uncomfortable.” pic.twitter.com/KRbWJiQExU
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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