Alyssa Milano Stands by Joe Biden Following Misconduct Accusation

Alyssa Milano declared her support for Joe Biden on Twitter Monday as accusations of sexual misconduct circle around him.

Milano has been an outspoken voice in U.S. politics in the last few years, taking her activism and political advocacy to higher and higher levels. She was particularly associated with the Time’s Up Campaign, and she was vocal in the Me Too movement, making it all the more surprising when she sang Biden’s praises on Monday.

“I am proud to call Joe Biden a friend,” Milano wrote. “He has been a leader and a champion on fighting violence against women for many years, and I have been fortunate to accompany him to events with survivors where he has listened to their stories, empathized with them, and comforted them.”

Milano included a photo of herself and Biden smiling arm in arm. In five more successive tweets, Milano explained why she sees Biden as an ally. She wrote that he is “a warm, generous individual who believes its on all of us to pay attention to women’s stories and experiences.”

“Joe Biden’s response that he never meant to make anyone uncomfortable and that he’ll listen and learn from anyone who says otherwise is exactly the leadership we need to build a culture where women are heard and are equal,” she added.

“I respect Lucy Flores’ decision to share her story and agree with Biden that we all must pay attention to it,” Milano went on. “But, just as we must believe women that decide to come forward, we cannot assume all women’s experiences are the same.”

“I believe that Joe Biden’s intent has never been to make anyone uncomfortable, and that his kind, empathetic leadership is what our country needs,” she concluded. “Especially now.”

Milano’s tweets led to many accusations of hypocrisy, as people suggested that supporting Biden was politically convenient for her agenda. Opponents have pointed out Milano’s much stronger rhetoric in the case of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Milano’s supporters have pointed out that Kavanaugh faced four allegations of actual sexual assault, while Biden’s alleged misconduct was comparably tame.

Flores, a Democratic politician from Nevada, wrote an essay last week detailing an encounter with Biden where he planted an unwanted kiss on the back of her head at a public event. Biden has been photographed putting his hands on other women, leading many to believe that he would be plagued with similar accusations if he were to announce his candidacy for presidency.