James Van Der Beek shared his experience with Hollywood sexual harassment

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Actor James Van Der Beek took to Twitter on Wednesday night to share an account of his experiences with sexual harassment in Hollywood, and express support for the women who have spoken out against the alleged sexual misconduct of Harvey Weinstein.

"What Weinstein is being accused of is criminal. What he's admitted to is unacceptable — in any industry," Van Der Beek wrote. "I applaud everybody speaking out."

"I've had my a-- grabbed by older, powerful men," he continued. "I've had them corner me in inappropriate sexual conversations when I was much younger. I understand the unwarranted shame, powerlessness & inability to blow the whistle. There’s a power dynamic that feels impossible to overcome."

Van Der Beek became a prominent name in TV in the late 1990s when he starred in the series "Dawson's Creek," starting at the age of 21. He currently stars in the Viceland series "What Would Diplo Do?" 

Since reports by The New York Times and The New Yorker detailed numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault against the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein last week, a number of other actors have come forward to share their experiences of harassment in the industry.

While Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie came forward to accuse Weinstein of sexually harassing them early in their careers, actor Terry Crews also revealed he was sexually assaulted by an unnamed Hollywood executive.

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