Actress, Oklahoma Native Olivia Munn On OU Award For ‘Me Too’ Movement

Oklahoma native Olivia Munn and OU alumna was honored Friday night as the first recipient of the “Voice of Justice Award” for her leadership in the “Me Too” movement against sexual harassment.

“You're going up against these really powerful, very rich people and you are exposing them and that angers a lot of people,” Munn said before the Friday evening ceremony.

The 37-year-old X-Men and HBO actress made headlines in the early days of the “Me Too” movement, coming forward as one of six women to accuse powerful Hollywood director and producer Bret Ratner of masturbating in front of her while she was visiting a movie set in 2004. Ratner later said the two had a sexual relationship but reversed his statement shortly after.

Ratner has denied the allegations made against him by Munn and the other women. But on Friday Warner Brothers said its cutting ties with Ratner, a step Munn thinks is in the right direction.

“We need changes like that we need to have the people at the top,” she said. “The people who make these decisions, who put money into these men's pockets and then create more power for them, we need these people to cut them off.”

Since going public about the accusations, Munn has been a vocal advocate for victims of sexual harassment and abuse in Hollywood and across the country. She’s trying to widen the spotlight to victims outside of the television and film industries.

“I think the issue that the “Me Too” movement has really shown a light on is not so much a woman's issue or a man's issue. It's an abuse of power issue,” Munn said.

In the days since the start of “Me Too,” criticism of accusers and defense of alleged abusers have blurred the lines between fact and fiction.

Munn's advice is to focus on the victims asking the rest of us to watch, listen and believe.

“You should also realize how empowering it has been for the people who put up with it for so long. As dark of a time as it feels like for some people it's such a bright day for so many other people who have had to be quiet about it; who have had to suffer through it, who have had to watch their abusers just become more successful, more prominent and more powerful.”