‘A part of the culture’: Meera Syal on facing sexual misconduct during early career

In a recent interview, British actress Meera Syal disclosed that she faced two incidents of sexual misconduct during her early career in the 1970s and 1980s. The first incident occurred when a theatre director tried to offer her a role in a pantomime in exchange for sexual favors, which Syal declined. The second incident happened soon after, when an older male actor invited her home, claiming to help her advance her career, but instead sexually assaulted her.

Syal recounted that during this time, silence around sexual assault was prevalent in the industry. She recalled that many women of her age had experienced similar situations and chose not to speak up due to fear of not being believed or the belief that everyone was doing it. Syal emphasized that this culture of silence was a part of the industry during her early career.

She continued to share how the trauma of the assault motivated her to seek out other women who helped her transform her life, ultimately leading to her becoming a vocal advocate for women's issues.