Alec Baldwin takes break from Twitter

Actor Alec Baldwin has announced his decision to step away from Twitter.

Baldwin took the step following the backlash over his remarks regarding women settling sexual harassment suits in the context of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, reports variety.com.

"It is with some degree of sadness that I will suspend posting on this Twitter account for a period of and in the current climate," Baldwin tweeted on Saturday.

"It was never my intention, in my public statements, to 'blame the victim' in the many sexual assault cases that have emerged recently. I simply posited that the settlement of such cases certainly delayed justice, though I am fully aware that those settlements were entered into with the understanding that settlement is wise, intimidated into believing so," he added.

The actor said his heart goes out to all the victims of sexual assault and that his foundation would continue to post on the topic of its work with the arts and environment.

Baldwin faced backlash over comments regarding settlements that he made during an interview with PBS NewsHour, in which he pointed out that when women settle sexual harassment suits and are silenced in the process through NDAs, "the course of change" is delayed, reports variety.com.

In the interview, he said: "When you talked about Harvey Weinstein in the business, you knew that he was highly intrusive in the process of making films … you knew that he was a very intense guy … and last but not least, you heard the rumour that he raped Rose McGowan. You heard that over and over - we heard that for decades. And nothing was done."

"Rose McGowan took a payment of $100,000 and settled her case with him," Baldwin continued, after being asked why no one had come forward if they were aware of the alleged incident. "And it was for Rose McGowan to prosecute that case."

Weinstein is facing allegations ranging from sexual harassment to rape from several women.

--IANS

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