Meryl Streep took Donald Trump to task during her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. Demille Award at the Golden Globes on Sunday.
“It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back,” Streep said, referring to an incident with Trump on the campaign trail. “It kind of broke my heart when I saw it. I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.”
“[This] instinct to humiliate, when it’s modelled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing,” the “Florence Foster Jenkins” actress continued.
“Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”
Streep also called on Hollywood to support a free and independent press as we find ourselves entering the Trump era. “We need the principled press to hold power to account, to call them on the carpet for every outrage,” she said. “That’s why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our constitution.”
She concluded by invoking the memory of the late Carrie Fisher, saying, “As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia said to me once, ‘Take your broken heart, make it into art.’ Thank you.”
Golden Globes 2017: Red Carpet Arrivals (Photos)
Actress Kerry Washington ("Scandal")
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Actress Sophie Turner ("Game of Thrones")
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Actress Natalie Portman ("Jackie")
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Actress Anna Kendrick ("Trolls")
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Actress Janelle Monáe ("Hidden Figures")
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Actresses Sarah Paulson ("American Horror Story") and Amanda Peet ("Togetherness")
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Actress Brie Larson ("Room")
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Actress Amy Adams ("Arrival")
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Actress Michelle Williams ("Manchester by the Sea")
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Actress Issa Rae ("Insecure")
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Actor Joel Edgerton ("Loving")
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Actor/writer/producer Donald Glover ("Atlanta")
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Actor Jeremy Renner ("Arrival")
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Actress Maisie Williams ("Game of Thrones")
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"Stranger Things" cast
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Actress Priyanka Chopra ("Quantico")
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Actress Ruth Negga ("Loving")
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Actress Kristen Bell ("Bad Moms")
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Heidi Klum
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Actress Chrissy Metz ("This Is Us")
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Actress Lily Collins ("Rules Don't Apply")
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Actress Teresa Palmer ("Hacksaw Ridge")
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Actress Felicity Huffman ("American Crime")
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Actors Sterling K. Brown ("This Is Us") with wife, actress Ryan Michelle Bathe ("This Is Us")
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Miss Golden Globes Sistine Stallon, Scarlet Stallone and Sophia Stallone
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Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
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Writer/producer John Ridley ("American Crime") with wife Gayle Ridley
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TV personality Giuliana Rancic
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"Atlanta" star LaKeith Stanfield
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Actors Courtney B. Vance ("The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story") and Angela Bassett ("American Horror Story")
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"Today" and "Access Hollywood" anchor Natalie Morales
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Actress Tracee Ellis Ross ("Black-ish")
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Actress Kathryn Hahn ("Transparent")
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Actress Gwendoline Christie ("Game of Thrones")
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Writer/director Jill Soloway
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Actress Amy Landecker ("Transparent")
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Miss USA 2012 Olivia Culpo
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Actress and model Emily Ratajkowski
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"Tonight Show" drummer Questlove
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Actress Anna Chlumsky ("Veep")
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Reality TV star Kristin Cavallari
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Actress Drew Barrymore
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Actress Judith Light ("Transparent")
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Actress Goldie Hawn
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Actress Gillian Anderson ("The X-Files")
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Actor Michael Shannon ("Loving")
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See what the biggest stars of film and TV are wearing as they stroll into the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. TheWrap will continue to update as guests arrive.