'The Big Bang Theory' star's op-ed about Harvey Weinstein sparks outrage on Twitter

C. Flanigan/Getty Images

Mayim Bialik.

Mayim Bialik, one of the stars of the popular sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," attracted sharp criticism on Saturday over an op-ed she penned for The New York Times about the multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment made against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. 

In the op-ed, Bialik wrote that although she was "shocked and disgusted" by the allegations against Weinstein, she was not surprised by them.

"I quickly learned even as a preteen actress that young girls with doe eyes and pouty lips who spoke in a high register were favored for roles by the powerful men who made those decisions," Bialik wrote. 

Bialik went on to note the choices she makes today that she deems to be "self-protecting and wise."

"I have decided that my sexual self is best reserved for private situations with those I am most intimate with," she wrote. "I dress modestly. I don't act flirtatiously with men as a policy."

The op-ed drew immediate backlash from critics who said Bialik was insinuating that modesty and a conservative wardrobe can guard one against sexual assault. 

 Several observers pointed out that Bialik had missed that the central motive behind sexual assault and harassment is about power, not sexual desire. 

 "I have to say I was dressed non provocatively at 12 walking home from school when men masturbated at me," tweeted actress Patricia Arquette. "It's not the clothes."

Bialik's op-ed came on the heels of designer Donna Karan's comments over whether women today are "asking for it" by dressing and acting provocatively. 

"How do we present ourselves as women?" Karan reportedly said at an awards ceremony Sunday evening in response to a question about the accusations against Weinstein. "What are we asking? Are we asking for it? By presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality? What are we throwing out to our children today? About how to dance, how to perform and what to wear? How much should they show?"

The New York Times broke the first bombshell report detailing several allegations against Weinstein, and The New Yorker followed up with a separate report which included several accounts of sexual harassment and assault, as well as some allegations of rape. Dozens of women, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, have now stepped forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct to varying degrees.

Most of the alleged encounters detail "business meetings" that occurred in Weinstein's hotel suites that turned into scenes of sexual harassment or assault. These accusations stretch back as far as the 1980s and include a variety of film industry figures, including actresses, assistants, and other employees.

After the stories broke, Weinstein was fired from the Weinstein Company, which he co-founded. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts also suspended Weinstein's membership, releasing a statement on Wednesday that called his alleged behavior "completely unacceptable and incompatible with BAFTA's values."

On Saturday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also voted to oust Weinstein.

Michelle Mark contributed reporting.