‘What are they asking for? Trouble.’ Donna Karan apologizes for defending Weinstein
The internet rage machine turned its attention on Donna Karan, the namesake of designer brand DKNY, after she made comments defending Harvey Weinstein’s behavior towards women Sunday night.
A report by the New York Times last week revealed evidence that Weinstein has sexually harassed women for three decades, including inviting them up to hotel rooms for private meetings, asking them to watch him shower and insinuating he would boost their career if they did sexual favors for him.
Weinstein, a powerful Hollywood producer, was fired by his company over the weekend. He’s been mostly denounced and shunned since the revelations, even by people who have praised him in the past, but Donna Karan had a different take – at least before the outrage turned on her.
Karan was stopped by the Daily Mail for a red-carpet interview at the CinéFashion Film Awards in Los Angeles Monday night and asked for her take on the Weinstein scandal. The DKNY founder is friends with Weinstein’s wife, fashion designer Georgina Chapman, according to Page Six.
“You look at everything all over the world today and how women are dressing and what they are asking by just presenting themselves the way they do,” Karan told the Daily Mail in a recorded interview. “What are they asking for? Trouble.”
She also said that Weinstein “has done some amazing things,” and that she doesn’t believe “it’s only Harvey Weinstein.”
Her response was immediately denounced as victim-blaming online.
Donna Karen just devalued a lifetime of work by devaluing victims of sexual harassment and assault. A true shame to see.
— Lizelle van Vuuren (@heylizelle) October 10, 2017
I was stunned by her words. Victim blaming at its worst! In 2017! When will it end? I fear it never will. Donna Karan should be ashamed!!
— Kim Chandler (@kchandler1969) October 10, 2017
If you think that Weinstein manipulated and connived to harass women bc of what they were WEARING you'll look the other way on anything.
— Alexandra Schwartz (@Alex_Lily) October 10, 2017
Karan then released a statement apologizing for her remarks, but saying they were “taken out of context.”
“My statements were taken out of context and do not represent how I feel about the current situation involving Harvey Weinstein,” she said. “I believe that sexual harassment is NOT acceptable and this is an issue that MUST be addressed once and for all regardless of the individual. I am truly sorry to anyone that I offended and everyone that has ever been a victim.”
2. In a statement Donna Karan says her comments were taken out of context (her comments are on tape) pic.twitter.com/V5iL8ciCEC
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) October 10, 2017
The Daily Mail did edit some parts out of the video interview, cutting out the interviewer’s questions at least, but it did include additional comments. You can watch the full edited video here.
“I think we have to look at ourselves. Obviously, the treatment of women all over the world is something that has always had to be identified. Certainly in the country of Haiti where I work, in Africa, in the developing world, it's been a hard time for women,” Karan said. “To see it here in our own country is very difficult, but I also think how do we display ourselves? How do we present ourselves as women? What are we asking? Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality?”
“And what are we throwing out to our children today about how to dance and how to perform and what to wear? How much should they show?”
This story was originally published October 10, 2017 at 9:55 AM with the headline "‘What are they asking for? Trouble.’ Donna Karan apologizes for defending Weinstein."