Keira Knightley among celebs demanding showbiz crackdown on bullying and sexual harassment
As part of an ongoing fight to set up an entertainment industry watchdog, famous faces including Keira Knightley, Cara Delevingne, Carey Mulligan, Rebecca Ferguson, Naomie Harris and Emerald Fennell have signed an open letter demanding a clampdown on bullying and sexual harassment in showbusiness.
Keira Knightley, Cara Delevingne, Carey Mulligan, Rebecca Ferguson, Naomie Harris and Emerald Fennell are among the female celebrities demanding a clampdown on bullying and sexual harassment in showbusiness.
The group are only six of 25 high-profile names who submitted an open letter calling on creative bodies in Britain to help fund a new watchdog – the Creative Industry Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) – to probe complaints in the music, film, television and theatre industries.
Their letter stated: “So many of us in this industry would have loved to have an objective outside body that we could go to for advice, for mediation and in the very extreme circumstances, that we might need some outside body to hold people accountable for the bad behaviour or bad practices that sometimes happen on our sets, on our stages, behind the scenes.
“And we are far from being alone in recognising this need.”
It adds the signatories “believe (a watchdog will be) a very necessary part of a range of interventions driving for much-needed change.”
The group Time’s Up UK has been calling for the creation of an independent standards authority since 2021.
But funding for it has been slow, and despite British broadcasters including the BBC, ITV and Sky all contributing, Ciisa has said the launch can only move forward at the end of the year if they receive more from top industry bodies.
The celebrity-backed letter went on: “Please support CIISA. This issue needs to be tackled by everyone working together.
“We need and it will become the blueprint across the globe for keeping our creative industries safe.”
BBC boss Tim Davie, 57, said: “CIISA will be a force for good across the entire industry. We all need to do everything we can to create an industry where everyone feels totally safe to do their best work.
“That’s why the BBC is actively working with others to support its development.”
A recent report by creatives union Bectu said a survey of more than 200 industry professionals showed 92 per cent had personally witnessed or experienced bullying or harassment on grounds of their sex or gender in the workplace.
The research also concluded claims including those of rape, assault and emotional abuse made against comic Russell Brand, 49, have done little to “shift the dial” in the entertainment business when it comes to both harassment and support systems.
