Ronan Farrow Blasts Eric Schneiderman Statement: “Not ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey'” Situation

Ronan Farrow, co-author of New Yorker’s explosive post on abuse allegations against New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, took to morning TV to slap back at Schneiderman’s response.

Schneiderman resigned as New York State Attorney General Monday night, about three hours after the magazine published its report in which four women alleged he physically abused them.

Announcing last night that he would resign, effective end of work day today, Schneiderman strongly contested the claims, but said they made it impossible to continue as the state’s leading law enforcement officer. The vocal proponent of the #MeToo movement, known as the guy who brought legal action in New York against Harvey Weinstein, insisted what the women described as attacks was consensual sexual activity.

“In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity,” he said in a tweeted statement. ” I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in non-consensual sex, which is a line I would not cross,”

Farrow shot that down on ABC’s Good Morning America.“These women, one after another, were adamant, this is not Fifty Shades of Grey. This is not in an area of Grey at all. This was assault.”

“This happened when they were fully clothed, in many cases, not in context where they gave any suggestion of consent,” Farrow insisted. In one case, the accuser was not in any relationship with Schneiderman. Farrow described her as a “prominent attorney” who claimed Schneiderman “came on” to her at an event and, when she rebuffed him “began to call her some really horrific epithets and slapped her across the face, more than one time.”

On CNN’s New Day, Farrow said the women reported being urged not to speak out, by friends who “thought that he had the power to do too much good for the Democratic Party.” Others feared the risk of reprisals, worrying Schneiderman would use his office and his power to wiretap or in other ways “come after” people.