Ellie Goulding Opened Up About #MeToo and the Music Industry

Ellie Goulding Boxing — (Image credit: Sevda Albers)

Ever since the #MeToo movement gained widespread popularity in 2017, people have come forward to share their experiences with sexual misconduct. Many of those who have come forward are celebrities—so how has Hollywood changed with everything out in the open? According to singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, it's changed a lot.

"I definitely think the landscape has changed a bit, especially since the #MeToo movement," Goulding said on UK broadcast BBC Radio 4 on Thursday (via Entertainment Weekly). "I think that was really, really important for people to keep speaking out about their individual stories because I know a lot was happening and just wasn't being talked about.”

A post shared by BBC Radio 4
A photo posted by bbcradio4 on

The English artist explained that she'd often agree to get drinks with music producers to be polite or out of a sense of obligation. But all too often, those meetings would cross the line. "Hearing so many other similar stories from other female musicians and singers, I realized I wasn’t alone in it at all," Goulding said. "It wasn't just me, being particularly friendly."

The singer also shared ways in which she'd tried to combat the "vulnerable" feeling of being a woman in the industry, including wearing "baggy clothes" to record studios. Today, Goulding encourages younger artists to "have chaperones when they go to the studio."

Goulding's interview comes after another major win for women in music. On December 20, Kesha left Dr. Luke's record label after first accusing the producer of sexual assault in 2014.

The #MeToo movement is far from over. But artists like Goulding and Kesha being vocal about their experiences could change how the business treats future artists.

Meghan is a freelance news writer at Marie Claire. Her work has also appeared in Bustle, Refinery29, Popsugar, and other outlets. When she isn't writing, Meghan runs a community for plus-size people in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina.