Cate Blanchett says the #MeToo movement “got killed very quickly,” while speaking in Cannes at a festival discussion moderated by Didier Allouch. The Oscar-winning actor, who previously served as Cannes jury president in 2018 and has participated in women’s advocacy efforts, argues that public attention has faded faster than needed. She says what #MeToo exposed was a “systemic layer of abuse” that extends beyond entertainment and across industries, and that problems cannot be solved without identifying them.
Blanchett also points to what she says is ongoing inequality in filmmaking. She reports that she regularly works on set and performs daily “headcounts,” saying the workplace still features a large gender imbalance. In her description, women are vastly outnumbered by men, with one figure cited as 10 women to 75 men.
Across outlets, her comments are presented as an assessment of both the trajectory of #MeToo and the continuing staffing disparities she observes in current productions. The remarks are made during Cannes programming in 2026.
