Time's Up (movement)

Time's Up (movement)
Name	Time's Up
Formation	2018
Founders	Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes, Sheryl Sandberg, America Ferrera, Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep
Type	Advocacy organization
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	United States
Focus	Workplace harassment, gender equity

Time's Up (movement) Time's Up emerged in 2018 as an industry-led response to high-profile allegations against figures such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Les Moonves, Matt Lauer and Louis C.K., aiming to address sexual harassment across sectors including Hollywood, Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Broadway. The movement quickly connected celebrities, labor organizations, legal advocacy groups and political figures—among them Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Emma Stone, Taylor Swift and Viola Davis—to fund legal aid, influence legislation and pressure employers like The Weinstein Company, CBS, NBCUniversal, Google and Amazon Studios to change workplace practices.

Background and Origins

Time's Up traces roots to the 2017–2018 public fallout from allegations against Harvey Weinstein and parallel revelations involving Bill Cosby, Roger Ailes, R. Kelly, Ellen Pao and Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearings, which catalyzed the #MeToo conversation led by Tarana Burke and amplified by advocates such as Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, Kenya Barris and Michael Moore. Early meetings included strategists and producers connected to The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The New York Times and The Washington Post, where investigative reporting by journalists like Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey, Ronan Farrow and Jodi Rudoren spotlighted systemic abuses tied to companies such as Fox News and The Weinstein Company. Influences included labor actions from unions like SAG-AFTRA, Actors' Equity Association and legal campaigns led by organizations including ACLU, National Women's Law Center and Legal Aid Society.

Foundation and Organizational Structure

Time's Up was launched with a high-profile announcement at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards by prominent figures including Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes and Meryl Streep, and established a Time's Up Legal Defense Fund in partnership with Time's Up Foundation and Time's Up Now. Leadership and advisory councils drew on executives and philanthropists such as Sheryl Sandberg, Ava DuVernay, Natalie Portman, America Ferrera and lawyers formerly with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and public interest firms. The fund coordinated with nonprofits including Feminist Majority Foundation, National Domestic Violence Hotline, Planned Parenthood, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and labor organizations like United Auto Workers for referrals and policy work. Governance included a board, executive team, legal counsel and regional coordinators operating across hubs in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

Campaigns and Initiatives

Time's Up deployed multiple initiatives: a high-profile celebrity solidarity campaign at award shows involving Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Academy Awards and Emmy Awards presenters; a legal defense fund providing pro bono counsel for workers in sectors such as film, television, music and publishing; and workplace training programs modeled on recommendations from organizations like EEOC and Department of Labor allies. Campaign partners included advocacy groups such as Women's March, HeForShe, Lean In, Equal Rights Advocates and National Organization for Women, and utilized allies in politics such as Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren to promote legislation and oversight. Public-facing campaigns targeted companies such as Uber, Lyft, Facebook, Twitter and Wells Fargo for policy changes and corporate governance reforms.

Legal Actions and Advocacy

Time's Up's legal strategy worked with plaintiffs' attorneys from firms like Cooley LLP, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy and public-interest organizations including Legal Aid Society and ACLU to support civil suits, settlement negotiations and administrative complaints filed with agencies including EEOC and state civil rights commissions. Advocacy priorities included pushing for changes to laws on nondisclosure agreements, extension of statutes of limitations, stronger whistleblower protections, and reform of arbitration rules—efforts that intersected with legislative initiatives by lawmakers such as Dianne Feinstein, Kirsten Gillibrand, Stacey Abrams and Ayanna Pressley. Time's Up also backed amicus briefs in high-profile cases and supported local ordinances and corporate policy revisions at entities including Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros..

Controversies and Criticisms

Time's Up faced scrutiny from commentators and organizations including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, New York Post and critics like Tucker Carlson and Ann Coulter over governance, transparency and allocation of funds, and encountered internal disputes involving staff departures and disagreements with donors including Mackenzie Scott and corporate partners such as Google and AT&T. Critics from labor groups including Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and legal scholars like Erin F. Delaney questioned reliance on celebrity leadership and private litigation rather than unionization and systemic labor reforms advocated by AFL-CIO. High-profile controversies tied to individual board members, accusations of unequal distribution of legal aid, and debates about political endorsements provoked resignations and calls for reorganization.

Impact and Cultural Influence

Time's Up influenced cultural conversations across media outlets like CNN, BBC, NBC News, CBS News and ABC News, contributed to shifts in hiring practices at studios including Paramount Pictures and agencies such as CAA and WME, and helped catalyze legislation at state levels in California, New York and Washington restricting nondisclosure provisions and strengthening worker protections. The movement's visibility affected portrayals in works by creators like Aaron Sorkin, Greta Gerwig, Jordan Peele and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, influenced awards season politics at Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival, and intersected with global initiatives led by UN Women and Council of Europe bodies focused on gender-based violence and workplace rights. Its legacy continues to inform debates involving corporations such as McDonald's, Starbucks, and institutions including Harvard University and Yale University about accountability, transparency and the role of celebrity advocacy in social change.

Category:Social movements Category:Women's rights