Over 20,000 people demand that Matt Damon be removed from the all-female Ocean's 8.
The actor, who recently spoke out about the sexual harassment scandals that saw celebrities knocked off of their pedestals, has earned the ire of the public. A petition addressed to director Steven Soderbergh and producer George Clooney that asks to remove Damon in the movie has gained traction with almost 22,000 supporters as of this writing.
People Against Damon
"The all-female reboot of Ocean's 8 was supposed to be an empowering film for women," the petitioner, Rebecca G., explained. "The movie spotlight the talents of its tremendous female cast and showcase the savvy and prowess of its characters."
She cited Damon's previous association with producer, Harvey Weinstein who, in the past few months, have been exposed to be a serial sexual harasser whose victims involved popular and aspiring actresses. The The Martian star was also named as a part of the Miramax and The Weinstein Co. founder's "complicity machine" for helping bury a story about the notorious movie producer's past misconducts.
Moreover, the 47-year-old's recent interview about the on-going purge that names and shames prominent figures in Hollywood has been condemned by activists. Damon claimed in a conversation with Peter Travers that there is a "spectrum of behavior" to consider.
"There's a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?" He explained. "Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn't be conflated, right?"
He particularly cited the scandal involving Louis C.K. who masturbated in front of two female comedians without their consent. Damon applauded the Louie creator and star for owning up to his mistakes.
He further fueled the fire by telling Business Insider that he would work with people accused of sexual harassment depending on their story. Damon previously worked with Weinstein in the movie Good Will Hunting.
Linus Caldwell In 'Ocean's 8'
Damon has a cameo appearance in the upcoming all-female revival. He will reprise the role of Linus Caldwell, son of a con artist and an expert pickpocket, in the previous installments of the Ocean's movie series.
The actor assured in an interview back in February that his role will be small because the movie will focus on the new all-female crew led by Sandra Bullock's Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny (Clooney).
Ocean's 8 will also star Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham-Carter. The movie will be released on June 8, 2018.
