Njideka Akabogu
In the past couple of months, women across the world have been speaking up through the #MeToo movement about their experiences with sexual harassment and abuse in and out of their work places. One would therefore think that with all the stories, people would enlighten themselves and be, at the very least, sympathetic to the cause but no, people like popular life coach, Tony Robbins still choose to bury their heads in the sand.
While speaking at a self-help event in San Jose, the 58-year-old American life coach told the thousands of people who had showed up to hear him speak that women are just using the #MeToo movement to gain significance.
In the clip which recently surfaced on the internet, Robbins says, “If you use the #MeToo movement to try to get significance and certainty by attacking and destroying someone else… all you’ve done is basically use a drug called significance to make yourself feel good.”
A member of the audience who happens to be a survivor of childhood sexual abuse however wasn’t going to let it slide.
The woman named Nanine McCool stood up to school him about what the movement really is about, but Robbins wan’t budging. He maintained his stance saying that women are basically losing out of opportunities because of the movement, He goes ahead to tell the story of a certain “famous” and “powerful” friend of his who refused to hire a woman for a job she was very well qualified for because she was “very attractive and therefore too much of a “risk”.????????♀
He ended by saying he wasn’t going to apologize for his stand because that would be inauthentic.
Following the video, Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement has gone on Twitter to reveal that Robbins’ team had reached out to her earlier trying to offer context as a form of damage control.
See her tweets below:
I was made aware of this video BEFORE I ever saw it because Tony Robbins people reached out to do damage control within 24 hours. They wanted to “give me context” apparently. I don’t need any. I have eyes. The full video is 11 mins. And it’s gross. Bravo to this woman. https://t.co/gjbm9GF1Mz
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
Oh the video is MUCH worse. His misogyny runs deep. To even repeat that story of his ‘friend’ who wouldn’t hire the ‘pretty woman’ as if it’s the MOVEMENT’s fault and not the sexist man’s fault is all you need to hear. It’s deplorable. But SO many folks misunderstand this work.
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
And he is clear that he won’t apologize so it is what it is. If you choose to keep supporting him it’s with full knowledge of his views on women and survivors.
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
This moment is so damaging especially with how influential @TonyRobbins is. We have a hard enough time trying to shift the narrative about what this movement really is and he stands in front of thousands of his followers and completely misrepresents the @MeTooMVMT
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
Crash course @TonyRobbins:
1. @MeTooMVMT is NOT about victimization it’s about SURVIVORS2. Women are not to blame for the deep seeded misogyny that you and men like your ‘friend’ are mired in. #metoo
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
3. Survivors are not complicit in their own abuse. Speaking our truth is part of healing not a ploy to gain ‘significance’ – bc when does that even HAPPEN?!
4. Physical intimidation can be a form or harassment. Rewatch that video and then watch your step homie.
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
5. This movement is about making sure survivors have the resources to heal AFTER they’ve said #metoo, it’s about galvanizing a global community or survivors and advocates to do the work of interrupting sexual violence. It’s about protecting folks’ human dignity at all cost.
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
@TonyRobbins If you talk to more SURVIVORS and less sexist businessmen maybe you’ll understand what we want. We want safety. We want healing. We want accountability. We want closure. We want to live a life free from shame. That’s the reality of the @MeTooMVMT sir, do better.
— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 7, 2018
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