John Oliver has expressed regret over his handling of a public discussion in which he confronted Dustin Hoffman over claims of sexual misconduct. In an interview on Sky One’s The Russell Howard Hour, the host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver said he felt the dialogue had “failed”.
“It wasn’t ideal but it became such a big story,” he said. “But it became about my questions rather than his answers.
“The questions weren’t particularly remarkable, but his answers were … not great. That was the point of it. But it didn’t really go anywhere constructive, so the whole thing just made me feel sad.”
In November, Hoffman was accused of sexual harassment by Anna Graham Hunter, who at 17 was a production assistant on the set of a 1985 TV movie, Death of a Salesman. Other allegations followed.
Hoffman, who denies all allegations against him, issued a statement in response to Graham Hunter in which he said he was sorry if “anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation”.
Earlier in December, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, the actor appeared with co-star Robert De Niro, director Barry Levinson and producer Jane Rosenthal for a panel discussion marking the 20th anniversary of the satirical film Wag the Dog. Oliver moderated the session.
In an awkward exchange first reported by the Washington Post, Oliver raised the subject of the allegations and Hoffman’s response to them. The actor accused Oliver of putting him “on display here”.
Hoffman also said: “You have indicted me … That’s not innocent until proven guilty.”
According to the Post, the confrontation created a “testy” atmosphere in which audience members “argued volubly”. One attendee was reported to have shouted: “Move on. Let it go. Move on.” Another reportedly thanked Oliver for “believing women”.
