Southworth negotiated huge deals in 2018, including the nationwide theatrical screening of “The Walking Dead” season premiere; Next Games’ augmented reality game based on “The Walking Dead”; the digital ad sales team appearing in a Google ad; and deals related to AMC’s presence at Comic Con. Southworth notes how quickly the Time’s Up movement raised $20 million-plus for a legal defense fund and recruited more than 200 volunteer lawyers. “They just hired the former president of the WNBA, Lisa Borders, to lead their efforts and I think that was a very visionary decision,” she says.
What are your thoughts on the industry’s current response to the Me Too movement, and its treatment of men who have been accused of sexual harassing and/or assaulting women and men? Are there other steps you feel should be taken?
I think the Time’s Up movement that’s formed in the last 10 months is making great strides in terms of organizing and continuing the awakening that’s begun. They have raised over 20M dollars for their legal defense fund and have gathered over 200 volunteer lawyers. They just hired the former President of the WNBA, Lisa Borders, to lead their efforts and I think that was a very visionary decision.
Do you see any potential backlash to the Me Too/Time’s Up movements?
No movement is without backlash but hopefully the good will outweigh any backlash that might happen.
Who is an inspirational woman you admire, and why?
I admire my mother quite a bit. In her mid 20’s, she finished her med school exams, got married to a man she hardly knew because they were arranged that same day, and set flight to a country she had never visited not knowing a soul on the ground. Not only did she manage to flourish as a well-respected Pediatrician for the last 40 years, but she raised me and both my brothers with an incredible sense of self. If I’ve met success in anyway, it’s all because of what I learned by watching her – her dedication to her profession, her children, her family, and the community at large.
