Time’s Up, the anti-harassment organization that was launched to substantial fanfare among Hollywood personalities and political players at the onset of the #MeToo movement five years ago, will halt current operations in the coming days.
The decision comes following a tumultuous stretch of months for the organization, stirred by revelations that leadership had undisclosed connections with former New York governor Andrew Cuomo that complicated its alignment regarding sexual harassment allegations against the political figure. The controversy led to the ousting of Time’s Up leader Tina Tchen in Aug. 2021. A series of layoffs followed in Nov. 2021, accompanied by a pledge for a “major reset” for the organization.
The Associated Press reports that board chair Gabrielle Sulzberger announced the upcoming changes. The publication states that Time’s Up will shift its remaining funds to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, with all other operations ceasing.
Time’s Up could not be immediately reached for comment.
Time’s Up made a splash in 2018, with numerous celebrities pledging support to the #MeToo movement by wearing pins emblazoned with the phrase “Time’s Up” on the carpet of the Golden Globes. Donations for a legal fund soared and the organization was formally founded later in the year.
But after reports emerged in 2021 that then-CEO Tchen instructed the group to not release a statement in support of Cuomo’s initial accuser, numerous board members stepped down and a celebrity-powered advisory board, which included names like Natalie Portman and Jessica Chastain among its members, was dissolved.
By the start of 2023, Time’s Up was a much smaller operation. The organization maintained only three remaining board members — Sulzberger, Colleen DeCourcy and actor Ashley Judd, one of Harvey Weinstein’s earliest public accusers — and a comparatively meagre workforce. All three board members plan to step down as the organization shuts down.
The remaining funds, reportedly totaling about $1.7 million, will be moved to the group’s legal fund, administered by the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. The organization aims to provide legal and administrative aid to workers, a large portion of who identify as low-income or as people of color.
