While Harvey Weinstein has never exactly had a reputation for respecting women, new sexual harassment allegations have nonetheless shocked the world and incited anger amongst many. Seth Macfarlane is one of the latest to publicly show his disgust, shedding light on a comment he made about the man during the 2013 Oscars.

Seth MacFarlane at Fox Fall Premiere PartySeth MacFarlane at Fox Fall Premiere Party

In a statement, the 'Family Guy' creator revealed that a joke that he made at the expense of Harvey Weinstein during the Best Actress nominations at the 2013 Academy Awards was made with genuine malice. In previous years, he'd been told of an incident by a female friend that left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

'In 2011, my friend and colleague Jessica Barth, with whom I worked on the Ted films, confided in me regarding her encounter with Harvey Weinstein and his attempted advances', he wrote on Twitter. 'She has since courageously come forward to speak out. It was with this account in mind that, when I hosted the Oscars in 2013, I couldn't resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction. Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing and anger.'

'There is nothing more abhorrent and indefensible than abuse of power such as this', he continued. 'I respect and applaud my friend Jessica and those sharing their stories for their decision to come forward, and for being champions of the truth.'

Of course, a number of people criticised Seth for not speaking up at the time, but in his defence it is extremely difficult to make such an allegation against such a powerful person with no first hand evidence. If Jessica was too frightened to come out in public about her experience, it certainly was not Seth's place to do it for her - especially because it could have seriously affected her career.

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The joke in question at the Oscars was made after Seth and Emma Stone revealed the five nominees for Best Actress. 'Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein', he said afterwards.