Molly Ringwald Says She Was Taken 'Advantage' Of During 'Brat Pack' Era

While appearing on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Ringwald talked about her years growing up in the spotlight.

"I never really felt like I was part of a community when I was in Hollywood, just because I was so young, really," the 56-year-old recalled during Monday's episode.

"I wasn’t into going out to clubs. I feel like I'm more social now than I was then. I was just too young."

Ringwald was part of the notorious "Brat Pack" of young stars in the 1980s, with box office hits like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. Ringwald, along with Harry Dean Stanton, Annie Potts, James Spader, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, were all part of the iconic and unofficial group, often appearing together in the teen films of the era.

Ringwald recalled being "taken advantage of" during this time, telling Maron, "You can’t be a young actress in Hollywood and not have predators around."

While the MeToo movement often focused on disgraced former film producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, Ringwald used her platform to bring awareness to others who used their power for evil in the industry.

"I wasn't raped by Harvey Weinstein, so I'm grateful for that," she said. "But I also did write an essay for The New Yorker that was all like, 'It's not all Harvey Weinstein. He’s not the only one."

She described the experience as "harrowing," adding that she has "a 20-year-old daughter now who is going into the same profession, even though I did everything I could to convince her to do something else. And it's hard."

Ringwald shares Mathilda and twin 14-year-old daughters Adele and Roman with husband Panio Gianopoulos.