At Variety’s ‘Power of Women’ event, Natalie Portman delivered a stirring speech, which resulted in the whole room giving her a standing ovation. Natalie attacked various myths about working women and categorically broke down the illusions some men have created about other women in the film industry. The biggest example being Harvey Weinstein. She said, “Harvey Weinstein, the man whose name has become synonymous with ‘serial rapist,’ might never suffer any legal consequences” 

In the most memorable part of the speech, the actress goes on to advice women to “gossip well”.

“Stop the rhetoric that a woman is crazy or difficult,” the actress urged. “If a man says to you that a woman is crazy or difficult, ask him, ‘What bad thing did you do to her?'”

“That’s a code word,” said Portman. “He is trying to discredit her reputation. Make efforts to hire people who have had their reputations smeared in retaliation.”

Being a strong supporter of the Time’s Up movement, Natalie spoke of its importance in the industry and urged women to stand along with the movement. She offered advice on how one can help the initiative by donating funds, demand or negotiate for equal pay and help in diversifying workplaces.

The speech wasn’t limited to just the few people in the room, but was actually meant to resonate with women all around the world. And it did just that, with the video currently having gathered 100,000+ views.