Ashley Judd is speaking out against “everyday sexism.” During a recent visit to the airport, the actress, 49, claimed she encountered an airport employee that interacted with her in ways that she considers inappropriate.
She took to Facebook Live to send her followers a detailed explanation of the encounter and said this is the kind of thing people rarely speak up about because it seems insignificant.
“This is the kind of thing to me that happens which I categorize as everyday sexism,” she said. “And it is so easy to let it go and not to speak up, particularly when it is so easy for someone to push back and say ‘Oh, I was just being polite.’”
“So I was coming through security and a guy said ‘Hey sweetheart,’ and I said, ‘I’m not your sweetheart, I am your client.’ So I was already setting a boundary. When I was setting my things out, he said, ‘Hey nice dress!’” she explained. “I didn’t hear him say anything about the attire of any of the other folks in the entire line and I am in one of the most traveled airports in the world. I’m surrounded by lots and lots of other people dressed in lots of different kinds of dress.”
Judd then revealed the airport employee touched her, although she did not reveal how or where.
“I was speaking with one of his colleagues, she was saying, ‘Do you have high heeled shoes,’ and then guess what happened next? He touched me. I didn’t see him touch anybody else. And I turned around and I said, ‘That was unnecessary.’”
“By that time, you know, my skin was burning, my feet are burning. It’s so hard to continue to set these boundaries when someone continues to push. And then for good measure, he just said one more time, ‘have a good day sweetheart,’” she added.
The Divergent actress said that since she was early for her flight, she decided to put in a complaint with the manager.
“My intention is to put principles above personalities. I’m not here to be controversial. I am not here to be combative. But I asked for a manager, and I introduced myself and I shook his hand and I explained my situation and I also explained that there were also a lot of other people who saw it,” she said in the Facebook Live.
In a second video, Judd claimed that the manager apologized and said the employees are trained to address everyone as “sir” and “madam” and told not to touch anyone. Following their talk, the manager allegedly said he would be having a “second and longer conversation” when things were quieter at the airport.
Judd said her only intention for sharing the videos was to not only discuss a problem but to also highlight a solution.