In the six weeks since The New York Times report that brought down movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, dozens of new accusations against powerful men — from Hollywood to Capitol Hill — have dominated news cycles and set off a national reckoning over sexual abuse in the workplace.
The true magnitude and breadth of the problem has been difficult for many to fully comprehend. And if the past weeks indicate what’s to come, the revelations are only beginning. As part of an effort to put this wave into some context, Google looked at search trends for stories about some of the highest-profile figures in politics and entertainment. (Check out their rundown of the chaotic Trump era.)
The Weinstein story made the biggest initial splash and has continued to garner interest as it develops, but just as notable is the growing tide of allegations — as illustrated above — over the last couple months. Among the stories to climb up and over Weinstein include those of Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who multiple women have alleged pursued sexual relationships with them when they were teenagers, and Minnesota Sen. Al Franken. He drew a similar spike after radio host Leeann Tweeden said on Thursday that he forcibly kissed and then groped her in 2006.
Here is a zoomed-in look at the most-searched political figures.
Each new flash in the chart corresponds to a new disclosure or accusation. Notably, fresh reports rarely drain interest off other developing stories. Search interest in Weinstein has remained fairly constant through November, even as other big names — like the actor Kevin Spacey — grabbed headlines.