The director of Greece’s national theater was the latest “casualty” in an ongoing cascade of “MeToo” accusations that erupted with last month’s shocking allegation by an Olympic gold medalist that she was sexually assaulted some two decades ago by a sailing federation official.
Sailing champion Sofia Becatorou’s very public accusation was followed by numerous allegations – mostly by actresses but also a few actors – of inappropriate behavior by other professionals in the local entertainment world, including well-known actors and producers.
Dimitris Lignadis submitted his resignation to the relevant culture minister over the weekend. In his resignation letter, however, he bitterly denied any impropriety on his part, saying he has been targeted amid a “toxic climate of rumors, with innuendos and press leaks, without even one official accusation”.
Lignadis’ case is different from other similar instances that arose in the intervening month, as no accuser has publicly surfaced, but rather, press speculation swirled around his name.
Conversely, after Becatorou’s public accusation against the sailing federation official – who after being named issued a written denial – a bevy of mostly female performers said they had been sexually proposition, harassed or bullied by older and more powerful colleagues. The furor has also witnessed at least one accusation of attempted assault against a television news pundit and journalist.
