The seven women who accused Dustin Hoffman of sexual misconduct have expressed gratitude towards comedian and TV host John Oliver for confronting the actor over his alleged behaviour.

The women – who include Anna Graham Hunter, Wendy Riss Gatsiounis, Kathryn Rossetter, Melissa Kester, Cori Thomas, and two women who remained anonymous – came forward about the actor over the past several weeks.

John Oliver publicly confronted Hoffman about the accusations during a panel discussion earlier this month but has since appeared on The Russell Howard Hour  to express his disappointment with the event and its aftermath: “it became about my questions rather than his answers. But the questions weren’t particularly remarkable, but his answers were kind of, not great. That was the point of it. But it didn’t really go anywhere constructive, so the whole thing just made me feel sad.”

But while John Oliver feels he didn’t make the impact he hoped to, Hoffman’s accusers feel otherwise and have said they believe he made a big difference. They wrote a letter thanking Oliver and stated: “While the questions you asked may not have led to the constructive conversation you hoped for, the fact that you asked them at all is what matters most.”

The letter from the women continues: “few men put themselves at risk — socially or professionally — to have uncomfortable conversations with other men. Women can continue to tell our stories, but ultimately, change will depend on men reflecting on their own behavior and challenging other men to do the same.”

You can read the letter, which was shared by Anna Graham Hunter and signed by all seven women, below: