Life coach Tony Robbins came under fire after saying that some women are using the #MeToo movement to play victim and make a name for themselves. He apologized Sunday for his comments, saying, “I apologize for suggesting anything other than my profound admiration for the #MeToo movement.”
The backlash started during a March 15 Unleash the Power Within event hosted by Robbins. During the event he argued with Nanine McCool, and at one point standing over her, and using his fist to push her, showing, from his perspective, how some women use the movement, CNN reported.
During the event, Robbins said, “If you use the #MeToo movement to try to get significance and certainly by attacking and destroying someone else, you haven’t grown an ounce. All you’ve done is basically use a drug called significance to make yourself feel good.”
McCool admitted that there are some who use the movement for their personal gains, but many who are making it safe for women, CNN reported.
She fired back “You’re a leader and an influential man and you are doing a disservice, in my opinion, to the #MeToo movement.”
Robbins said, "I'm not knocking the #MeToo movement; I'm knocking victimhood. If you use the #MeToo movement to try to get significance, and certainty by attacking or destroying someone else, you haven't grown an ounce," CBS News reported.
McCool posted the exchange on YouTube.
Sunday Robbins responded to the fallout from his demonstration, saying “Let me clearly say, I agree with the goals of the #MeToo movement and its founding message of ‘empowerment through empathy,’ which makes it a beautiful force for good.”
He added in his statement, “I teach that ‘life happens for you, not too [sic] you’ and what I’ve realized is that while I’ve dedicated my life to working with victims of abuse all over the world, I need to get connected to the brave women of #MeToo.”
CBS News reported Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, said that Robbins' is misogynistic, firing back at the self-help guru on Twitter, "If you talk to more survivors and less sexist businessmen maybe you'll understand what we want."
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