With sexual assault and harassment controversies being leveled against powerful Hollywood figures coming at such a speedy rate, it’s easy to forget one or two people that have been accused. One of those accused that has, for the most part, flown under the radar is Dustin Hoffman. The legendary actor was one of the first to be accused in such a public way, with multiple harassment claims, but it’s been months since he’s been in the news. The last time we heard about Hoffman’s accusations was when John Oliver made headlines for publicly grilling him during a Q&A at the Tribeca Institute. Well now, we have Bill Murray bringing Hoffman’s name back into the public eye, but only to defend him…sorta.
In a recent interview held at the 92nd Street Y (via Yahoo), Murray was interviewing former talent agent Michael Ovitz. During that discussion, the film “Tootsie” was mentioned, which famously starred Dustin Hoffman and Murray, in a supporting role. From there, the actor found it was a great time to interject and voice his support for Hoffman.
“Since we’re talking about Dustin Hoffman, I just want to say: Dustin Hoffman is a great man and a really good guy,” Murray said. “And I heard what happened to him, and Dustin Hoffman is a really decent person. He’s a crazy, like a Borscht Belt flirt, he has been his whole life, but he’s a really sweet man.”
While we are certain Murray had the best intentions in mind, one has to consider explaining that a man who has been accused of sexual harassment is just a “flirt” is a bit of a backhanded compliment. That being said, Murray does fully defend Hoffman and call him a “sweet man.”
Hoffman is an award-winning actor that was last seen in 2017’s “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected).” His IMDB has no current projects listed. Murray, on the other hand, is keeping busy with the recent announcement that he’ll join a group of all-star acting talent in Jim Jarmusch’s upcoming zombie comedy film, “The Dead Don’t Die.”