Earlier this week, after Oprah Winfrey’s powerful Golden Globe speech that launched the unofficial “Oprah2020” campaign, Seal took to Instagram to call out the legendary host. At least that’s how it initially seemed. But, according to the singer-songwriter, we’ve got it all wrong.
“Let me start by saying that I have an enormous amount of respect for everything that Oprah has achieved and contributed in her life,” Seal said in a video, just before clarifying his Instagram post which accused Winfrey of being apart of the sexual misconduct problem in Hollywood. “What I reposted was not an attack on Oprah at all, she just happened to be the person photographed with the pig in the picture.”
Seal’s photo included two photos of Winfrey with Harvey Weinstein, whose sexual assault allegations propelled the #MeToo movement, where people share their stories of sexual misconduct, assault, and harassment. The picture was overlayed by text that read, “When you have been part of the problem for decades. But suddenly they all think you are the solution.” The singer posted the photo amid the massive wave of support for a potential presidential campaign for the host.
“No. What I reposted was a commentary on the hypocritical and double standard nature and behavior of Hollywood. So Fox News, back off! But, I’ll get to you later,” he said. “Next, to those of us who support the #MeToo Movement, just know this. Not one of the women who have been sexually abused, not one of the women who has come forward has received any real justice, whatsoever.”
“Losing your job because you either, A. raped, B. sexually abused or even sexually harassed a woman is not real punishment…. And hashtag real talk for a second, we all know what would happen to any one of those power abusers if they looked like me.”
He then went on to discuss the backlash he received from his post, which included name-calling such as “Uncle Tom.” He ran down his ancestry and told his followers not to get his songs and accent confused because his parents are from Nigeria. “I am about as black as you will ever get,” he said, just before launching an attack on Stacey Dash, saying, “keep my name out of your mouth.”
