Something to Talk About(61)
She went to the soundstage as everyone returned from lunch. All she had to do to get quiet was raise her hands.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard the news about Barry Davis.” She breathed through her nose, decided to show most of her cards. “I am furious about this situation. That he thought he could do this to a member of the Innocents family. I don’t have words for how angry I am.” They could probably tell anyway, the way her voice shook. “I know this has been established from day one, but behavior like his will not be tolerated. Not from Oscar-nominated directors, not from Emmy-winning writers, not from a gaffer or a deliveryman or anyone. If you have ever been sexually harassed or assaulted by anyone on this set—” She took a steadying breath. “I’m not telling you you have to come to me, because you can deal with it however is right for you. But I am telling you that if you come to me, anonymously or otherwise, I will stand by you. I will have zero tolerance.”
Everyone stayed silent.
“Okay,” Jo said. “Back to work.”
* * *
—
Evelyn called that night while Jo ate takeout.
“It was Emma, wasn’t it?” she said as soon as Jo picked up. “No wonder she talked back to him.”
“Hello to you, too,” Jo said. “And I didn’t say it was Emma.”
“You didn’t,” Evelyn agreed. “But it was. Wow, okay, so that gives a lot of context to the whole you and her suddenly being okay with each other.”
It did, Jo supposed. Would Emma have forgiven her if this other terrible thing hadn’t cropped up? She’d rather still be fighting, as much as she hated that, than have Emma forced to deal with this.
“I’m surprised the rumors haven’t kicked back up about the two of you,” Evelyn said. “Given how white knight you’re probably going for her.”
Jo scoffed. “I’m not going white knight for her.”
“Releasing a statement and—and I’m just guessing here, but I know you, and you’re a badass, so I’m probably right—contacting and forewarning other actresses you figured he harassed? A coordinated effort to fuck up his career? Seems pretty white knight to me.”
“Fine,” Jo said, “but it’s not for Emma. I’d do the same regardless of who he harassed because he is a disgusting excuse for a—”
“Yeah, yeah,” Evelyn said, and Jo could picture her in her apartment, waving Jo off. “Down, girl.”
Jo picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. When she finished chewing, she said, “I need lawyers.”
“You mean for after you kill Barry Davis?”
“We both know I could make it look like an accident,” Jo said. “But seriously. Sexual harassment lawyers. Libel lawyers. Any type of lawyer that could help a victim come forward if a celebrity harassed or assaulted them.”
“What are you planning?” Evelyn asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Jo said. “I’ve got to talk to people. Figure it out. I know it’s not your specialty, but you have contacts. Put me in touch with the right people.”
“God, you’re a bulldog,” Evelyn said.
It wasn’t an actual solution—it wasn’t changing the Hollywood culture, the societal culture of the way men treat women. Support after the fact wasn’t as good as prevention. But it was something.
“You’ll get me names?” Jo asked.
“I’ll reach out to some people tomorrow,” Evelyn said.
“Good people.”
“As if I associate with anyone else.”
* * *
—
Emma turned her phone back on Thursday morning, but even then she was so inundated with calls that Jo had her turn it off again. No phone made for a quiet week. Not many people had Jo’s direct line, for good reason, but it rang Friday afternoon. Jo didn’t recognize the number, which at least meant it was neither Innocents’ network nor Agent Silver’s studio.
Instead, it was Annabeth.
“I hope your week hasn’t been too hard,” Jo said.
“Lord, it’s been a disaster,” Annabeth said, but she was laughing. “In a good way, if that’s possible.”
“I’ve had good disaster weeks,” Jo said. “Though I doubt any of them were particularly like your week.”
“Probably not.”
“You’ve done well,” Jo said. “Handled it well.”
“Thank you,” Annabeth said. “I’m actually calling to thank you anyway. For the heads-up. For the kick in the behind to make me step forward.”
Jo didn’t like that phrasing. “Ms. Pierce, I didn’t mean to push you into anything you didn’t want to do.”
“First of all, call me Annabeth,” she said. “And I know you didn’t. You not pushing me is what I needed to finally decide to do it. Which was the right choice for me. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And bless his heart, Barry didn’t know what hit him,” Annabeth laughed.
Jo chuckled. Barry’s people had attempted damage control all week, not to much avail. More women had stepped forward. If it had just been about discrediting Jo and the anonymous employee from Innocents, he might have been able to do it, but this? He was drowning, and it was beautiful. It reaffirmed Jo’s desire to do it to every scumbag in Hollywood.