Janet Jackson will conduct #MeToo checks on her upcoming tour. The 56-year-old pop icon is scheduled to hit the road again this year for her "Together Again" tour, and will reportedly follow in the footsteps of fellow superstar, Beyonce by conducting background checks on her employees to ensure they have no history of sexual abuse.
A source told the Bizarre column of The Sun newspaper that Janet is implementing #MeToo checks as she prepares for her "Together Again" tour, following Beyonce's lead.
Her dancers, bandmates, crew, and general staff will all undergo background checks to ensure they have no history of abuse.
The source added that although the move will be costly for the "All For You" singer, she is willing to sacrifice profits in order to create a safe working environment for such a "massive event."
The source continued that the the singer-performer desires a completely non-toxic workplace for all of her employees, and by implementing these early checks, she eliminates the risk.
The "Together Again" tour by Janet is anticipated to generate over £70 million and will be a monumental event.
Janet Jackson cannot afford for anything to go wrong with a show of such magnitude and scope. Janet is determined that everyone working on the tour is completely at ease and in a secure environment.
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Last year, it was reported that "Crazy in Love" singer, Beyonce, wished to make her upcoming "Renaissance" tour "a safe and welcoming workplace."
Instigated in the middle of the 2010s, the #MeToo movement forced a massive societal reckoning with sexual misconduct and abuse. The movement began in the fall of 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted: "If you've experienced sexual harassment or assault, reply to this tweet with "me too." This tweet went viral, garnering tens of thousands of retweets, likes, quotes, and replies. It had an immediate effect: Many individuals came forward for the first time to discuss their experiences with sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual abuse. Milano's tweet aimed to demonstrate how prevalent sexual misconduct is.
The responses to the tweet, as well as the discussions the post sparked, served to emphasize the prevalence of this type of violence against women (though many men and nonbinary individuals came forward to share their stories, too). The fact that it led to the exposure of numerous abusers in Hollywood and throughout the entertainment industry, including high-profile celebrities like Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein, made the movement even more visible.
However, the #MeToo movement extends far beyond the entertainment industry.
In the years since Milano's tweet, the #MeToo movement has shed light on the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace. In addition, the movement has revealed that many employers ignored sexual misconduct in their offices and among their teams for years. This oversight has not gone unnoticed by the general public, regardless of whether it is due to employers' ignorance or apathy. It has prompted a worldwide call for employers to better protect their employees.
Employers are responsible for providing a safe and welcoming workplace for all employees, which is a widely acknowledged fact. For generations, laws have safeguarded the rights of employees, protecting them from discrimination (including sexual) and more. In addition to these legal obligations, employers must now contend with a vigilant and engaged public and a court of public opinion that does not tolerate sexual misconduct.
Employers who fail to protect their employees from sexual harassment, discrimination, assault, or other forms of misconduct risk legal repercussions as well as irreparable brand damage on social media and beyond.
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