Almost from the moment #MeToo burst into public consciousness back in 2017, commentators have looked for signs that it’s over. But in 2024, it’s big news yet again. A man who has bragged about sexual assault, and has been found liable for sexual abuse by a jury, has just been re-elected president of the United States.
In September, music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested and indicted for leading a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, among other crimes, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Combs has been refused bail – and while he’s been in jail, multiple new lawsuits have been filed against him. #MeToo founder Tarana Burke credits the cultural shift initiated by the movement with bringing the Combs case to public attention and under legal jurisdiction.
Closer to home, in April, Bruce Lehrmann, accused of raping former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins, failed to win the defamation trial he brought against journalist Lisa Wilkinson and Channel Ten, which first aired Higgins’ claims, without naming him. (He is appealing the decision.)
