Jennifer Lawrence Is Not Sure If She Will Speak to Ryan Seacrest on the Oscars Red Carpet
Jennifer Lawrence is not yet sure if she will stop and do a red carpet interview with Ryan Seacrest at Sunday’s Oscars.
The Red Sparrow star, 27, was conflicted as Seacrest has been accused of sexual harassment by a former E! News stylist.
When asked by Howard Stern about the allegations against the E! host on the Wednesday episode on The Howard Stern Show, Lawrence said she was not a judge or a jury, she also admitted not being up to speed on the allegations.
After the radio host explained the accusations, which Seacrest has denied, the actress seemed in disbelief saying, “I can’t imagine him being sexual.”
But, Lawrence said, she had other reasons to take into account when considering whether to avoid talking to Seacrest, 43.
“Umm, I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, there is a lot to think about with E!, you know? I have always had a problem with the Fashion Police. I don’t have a problem with talking about what women are wearing. There was a time they were… they were just mean about people’s bodies, things you shouldn’t say.”
Lawrence also brought up former E! News host Catt Sadler, who left the network over issues of pay inequality. The actress and TV host are both working together on a #metoo docuseries.
“They aren’t bringing another costar up,” Lawrence said. “I have noticed that they keep cycling these women and I am going… is that so you don’t have to pay another woman equally to Jason [Kennedy]? Is this just a way to still maintain that you are not paying women equally?”
When Stern asked again if she would stop and do an interview with Seacrest, Lawrence said, “I don’t know about the Ryan Seacrest thing.”
“I think it is scary, you know. He has not been to trial for anything. I am not a judge. I am not a jury, you know,” she said. “I don’t know… that is where this stuff gets tricky.”
Despite not being sure if she would speak to him or not, Lawrence did say he would not be the only journalist she would consider not speaking to.
“There are already [news] outlets that I’m just like, ‘Nah,’” she added. “So it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.”
E! confirmed to PEOPLE that Seacrest was hosting their red carpet pre-show Sunday after the network’s investigation found “insufficient evidence” to support a stylist’s claims that he sexually harassed her.
A spokesperson for ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan also confirmed to PEOPLE that the show will continue with Seacrest, as usual, and with no interruption, as does a spokesperson for iHeartMedia, which hosts Seacrest’s radio show.
Suzie Hardy, who served as the host’s personal stylist in 2007 for E! News, has accused Seacrest of grabbing her crotch, hugging her while wearing only his underwear and forcefully throwing her onto a bed before rubbing his erection on her.
“E!’s investigation was extremely comprehensive and thorough. Over the course of a two-month process, our outside counsel interviewed more than two dozen people regarding the allegations, including multiple separate meetings with the claimant and all firsthand witnesses that she provided,” a spokesperson for E! told PEOPLE. “The investigator is an attorney with nearly 20 years experience and is highly regarded professionally. Any claims that question the legitimacy of this investigation are completely baseless.”
In a statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Seacrest accused Hardy of attempting to blackmail him and again denied her claims.
“Much has been said about the #MeToo and Times Up movement(s) and the importance of providing women and men with the opportunity to share their stories of workplace misconduct, in an effort to change our culture and the systemic inequalities that exist. I absolutely support this cause unequivocally and applaud all the brave souls who have come forward to share their stories,” Seacrest’s statement began.
“Sadly, last fall I became one of the accused, which I promptly revealed proactively to the network involved and to the public. And to be equally clear, those accusations were then investigated by an independent third-party over the course of a two-month process and involved dozens of interviews that included me, the accused and countless others. Ultimately, my name was cleared. I eagerly participated in the investigation in order to demonstrate my innocence because I know my truth, and I believe in due process.”
“Yesterday, Variety published a salacious story that revealed the specific claims against me for the first time – even though an independent third-party investigator found insufficient evidence to support the claims. Much to my dismay, Variety didn’t speak with me or bother to speak with other credible witnesses or even ask for any of the evidence that was obtained during the investigation when offered, all of which clearly challenged the veracity of the claims made against me,” Seacrest said.
He concluded: “This person who has accused me of horrible things offered, on multiple occasions, to withdraw her claims if I paid her millions of dollars. I refused. I have worked extremely hard to achieve my success and I don’t take my opportunities for granted. I don’t want to accuse anyone of not telling the truth but in this case, I have no choice but to again deny the claims against me, remind people that I was recused of any wrongdoing, and put the matter to rest.”
