Olivia Munn Feels Hopeful After 'Predator' Casting Controversy
*By Amanda Weston*
Olivia Munn knew she took a major risk when she exposed a "Predator" costar's past of sexual misconduct, but that didn't scare off the actress.
"Speaking out on things like this, usually, you kind of anticipate a negative blowback, and you're kind of waiting for that," Munn, a star of "Oceans 8," "Zoolander 2," and "The Newsroom," told Cheddar.
But since Munn informed 20th Century Fox ($FOXA) that the studio had cast a known sex offender, Steven Wilder Striegel, alongside her in the film, she has received an outpouring of support ー and been honored by the UN's Girl Up organization at its first annual #GirlHero Awards.
"It was just really reassuring and made me feel very hopeful for the future," Munn said at a recent event promoting the American Express ($AXP) SPG Luxury Card.
Munn's activism not only prompted the studio to eventually cut the Striegel's scene from the film, but emboldening Paige Carnes ー the then-underage victim of the actor's advances ー to join Munn on stage when accepting her award. Before that moment Sunday, Carnes had not identified herself to the media.
"For it to culminate to the point where the Jane Doe herself feels safe enough and strong enough to put out a statement and get out from behind the Jane Doe title was truly amazing," Munn said. "So an award like this from the United Nations and Girl Up, it just made me feel really hopeful for our future."
This past weekend, the actress also called out Kanye West for hypocrisy on Twitter ー the rapper has criticized American companies for sending work overseas to China, even though his shoe brand Yeezy does the very same thing.
"When you are as famous and powerful as Kanye West is, you can say, 'I'm not going to be doing this product with you, Adidas ($ADDYY), unless you make them in America,'" Munn said.
"I thought it was just really surprising, you know, that someone would stand on such a public platform and say something that is a complete contradiction to the products that they put out."
As of Friday afternoon, Munn's tweet to West had more than 50,000 retweets and more than 203,000 likes.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/olivia-munn-honored-for-speaking-out-takes-part-in-credit-card-launch).
Joanna Ostrem, Head of Estates, Appraisals, and Valuations at Christie's, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss what to look for when evaluating a piece, building a collection, and the growing interest from millennial investors.
College basketball forward for the HBCU Texas Southern University, Mimi O'Neal, daughter of Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, is pushing for more changes in light of gender equity scandals in NCAA college hoops brought to light on social media last year.
European prime ministers are heading into Kyiv today, a suspect has been arrested in the shootings of five homeless men in two cities, and Elon Musk challenges Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
Student loan payments for millions of borrowers are set to resume on May 1st. However, signals from the Department of Education show that the date may be pushed back. Once again, it's been pushed back a few times. Initially, the Biden Administration stated loan payments would resume as the economy continues to show signs of recovery. Student Loan Expert and Author of "How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid", Mark Kantrowitz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Mission-driven fintech company Propel raised $50 million in a Series B round led by Nyca Partners. Propel's mission is to help low-income Americans improve their financial health. The company's free app is called Providers, designed as a one-stop-shop for Americans to manage government benefits and other income side-by-side. Jimmy Chen, founder and CEO of Propel, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Russia may be asking China for help with its war in Ukraine, according to several reports citing unnamed U.S. officials. Russia is reportedly calling on its ally for military and economic assistance, in an attempt to avoid punishment from sanctions imposed by the U.S., Europe, and Asia, which have hammered Russia's economy. Chinese and Russian officials denied the reports. Meanwhile, top U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting today, with both countries confirming the conflict in Ukraine will be the meeting's main topic. Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Following the Texas Supreme Court's decision to end further challenges against the latest abortion restrictions, Texas saw a 60 percent decrease in abortions performed in the state — with an exodus of patients seeking care in other parts of the country. President, and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Alexis McGill Johnson, joined Cheddar News at South by Southwest 2022 to discuss the impact of the court's ruling on reproductive health care in the Lone Star State and beyond.
