Not long after the Harvey Weinstein scandal, two women came forward claiming Dustin Hoffman sexually assaulted them. The women are accusing the actor of sexual abuse including molestation, the use of inappropriate language and odd proposals for things like foot massages. Since the allegations have come to light, director Volker Schlöndorff has jumped to the actor's defence, stating Hoffman is a joker and nothing more.
Following the accusations, many are digging up the past in an attempt to resolve the situation or find any evidence which might make things a bit clearer. In the search, Slate were able to find a Time magazine interview with Meryl Streep, in which she accuses Dustin Hoffman of groping her. The interview dates back to 1979, and sees Streep talk about her first encounter with 'The Graduate' actor.
The two met when Streep was auditioning for a theatre show that Hoffman was directing. "He came up to me and said, 'I'm Dustin - burp - Hoffman,' and he put his hand on my breast", said Streep, who also remembered thinking, "what an obnoxious pig".
The tension on set
The story doesn't end there, for years later, the two Hollywood talents met once more on the set of 'Kramer versus Kramer'. According to Streep, the atmosphere wasn't very friendly when Hoffman lost it saying, "Meryl, why don't you stop carrying the flag for feminism and just act". For Streep, the words did nothing but strengthen her resolve to portray her character as she pleased.
