Many defending those accused of sexual harassment, assault or abuse cite how long it can take for the survivor to speak up, believing any delay discredits their account of events.

However, as Dunham’s post points out, it can be particularly hard in situations where there is an imbalanced relationship of power and a culture of complicity, not to mention the wider issue of the false rape myth and the inherent patriarchal favouring of men.

A Twitter hashtag was created shortly after the report’s publication, with women detailing their experiences with their own ‘Weinsteins’.

Dunham also wrote on Twitter: “Easy to think Weinstein company took swift action but this has actually been the slowest action because they always, always knew.”

Sexism and the ‘casting couch’ has long been a problem in Hollywood, from actors speaking out on disturbing experiences in auditions and on film sets, to the director of Last Tango in Paris admitting that he and star Marlon Brando conspired to assault Maria Schneider on camera in pursuit of realistic “rage and humiliation”.

While some in the industry have been criticised for thus far remaining silent on the issue, many others took to Twitter to express solidarity with the women who have spoken out, including Ashley Judd, who told the paper that Weinstein had asked “if he could give her a massage or she could watch him shower”.

Lena Dunham on the importance of sharing the Harvey Weinstein allegations