A cascading wave of sexual misconduct allegations that began in large part five years ago this month has since toppled hundreds of powerful men across a swath of industries.
It's been half a decade since the start of the #MeToo movement — a term coined by activist Tarana Burke in 2006, which exploded into the popular vernacular in October 2017 when actor Alyssa Milano invited women and abuse victims online to share their stories of rape, sexual harassment, and workplace abuse using the #MeToo hashtag.
The Twitter prompt sparked a deluge of allegations that brought down several Hollywood elites, such as Harvey Weinstein, Bryan Singer, and Kevin Spacey. And the hits kept coming; women and men alike made accusations against powerful people that ran the gamut from unwanted touching to rape. Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Al Franken, and dozens of others were among those who resigned in the wake of bombshell investigations.
As the dominoes continued to fall, the movement entered the inevitable discourse phase, stoking backlash and worries that the moment had perhaps gone too far. A narrative began to emerge: Would "cancel culture" ruin "good" men's lives and careers? It was a narrative the accused could rally behind.
Certain men accused of misconduct felt society's wrath; Weinstein and Bill Cosby both served jail time in two of the more extreme examples, though Cosby's sexual-assault conviction was overturned in 2021 due to a prior non-prosecution agreement. Both men continue to deny the allegations against them.
But many of the men accused of misconduct during the initial wave of the movement went from persona non grata to steadily employed once more in a matter of a few short years. Some of them never faced any consequences. Others seem poised to launch their comeback.
Insider reflected on five powerful men who faced #MeToo allegations — ranging from workplace misconduct to sexual assault — but have seemingly managed to survive the crisis, evade the long-term consequences, and bounce back from the shame oft associated with such accusations.