Two Canadians join list of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers
TORONTO — Two Canadian actors have spoken out against embattled Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein as he faces mounting allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
In an interview with the CBC, Erika Rosenbaum of Montreal alleged the fallen movie mogul made aggressive sexual advances during three separate meetings nearly 15 years ago.
Weinstein, who has been fired from the company he co-founded, has previously denied any allegations of non-consensual contact.
Rosenbaum said she first met Weinstein at a Los Angeles party when she was in her early 20s. She said she met him three more times to talk about her career, and alleged Weinstein acted inappropriately and tried to be intimate with her. During their third encounter, in a hotel room during the Toronto International Film Festival in the mid-2000s, Weinstein held her by the back of her neck and masturbated while standing behind her, Rosenbaum alleged.
In an article published on the Globe and Mail website on Friday, Mia Kirshner of Toronto alluded to “an ordeal” with Weinstein. She alleged he attempted to treat her “like chattel that could be purchased with the promise of work in exchange for being his disposable orifice.”
Kirshner, who has starred in TV and film projects including The L Word and Exotica, wrote about industry-wide changes she said were needed to prevent sexual misconduct.
She outlined ways the Screen Actors’ Guild and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists can “support their members in a more meaningful and tangible way.”
The alliance said it had implemented anti-harassment policies and had taken “swift action” when incidents occurred on sets or internally, but added it needs to do better. The union said it wants to work with other Canadian organizations on an industry-wide approach to combat, report and track sexual misconduct. It also wants to “end the culture of silence” and “create a safe space for victims to speak out without fear of retribution or harassment.”
“I’ve arranged for a big meeting that’s happening next Tuesday with CUES, the Canadian Unions for Equality on Screen, which has been documenting gender issues and the failings we’ve had,” said Theresa Tova, the alliance’s national treasurer and Toronto president.
Tova said she spoke with Kirshner on Wednesday and noted her call for action is “something this union takes very seriously.”
“The casting couch is a reality and it’s not just south of the border and it’s not just Harvey,” said Tova, noting she’s been attacked in a sexual manner herself four times in her career — twice as a performer and twice “just as a woman in society.”
Rosenbaum and Kirshner declined to be interviewed by the Canadian Press.
Canadian writers, actors and women’s rights advocates joined a contentious international boycott of Twitter on Friday after the social-media platform became mired in the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal.
The women’s boycott started at midnight Thursday in New York and was to last 24 hours.
It stirred intense debate, however, about whether silence even for a day is the way to fight abuse — a discussion that played out as women of colour refused to participate, noting it took a white celebrity’s experience to finally prompt such action.
It all began after the Twitter account of actor Rose McGowan, a vocal critic who has accused “HW” of raping her, was briefly suspended Wednesday because of a tweet that included a personal phone number. The Hollywood Reporter said McGowan confirmed it was Weinstein she was referring to; her representative did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Actors such as Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow have joined a growing list of women accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment over the past two decades. He has denied through a spokeswoman any allegations of non-consensual contact.
Twitter’s move to briefly freeze McGowan’s account incensed users who said far more serious breaches, including threats against women, are ignored.
“Count me in!” posted Canadian-born actor Anna Paquin, who welcomed any men wanting to show their support under the trending hashtag #WomenBoycottTwitter.
American actor Alyssa Milano tweeted Thursday it would be her first day in more than 10 years off Twitter. “Join me,” she added.
Model Chrissy Teigen told her almost eight million followers that she was “boycotting for many reasons.”
“To stand with the victims of sexual assault, online threats and abuse. And to boycott the fact our demented … president can tweet nuclear threats of war I can’t even see,” she posted Thursday.
Cam Gordon, a spokesman for Twitter Canada, said Friday the company wasn’t commenting. Instead, he referred to prior posts from Twitter’s safety branch, explaining McGowan’s account was temporarily locked “because one of her Tweets included a private phone number, which violates our terms of service.”
Canadian television writer Emily Andras, known for the series Wynonna Earp, said the boycott is about respect.
“The only thing I like more than tweeting is knowing women’s voices are respected — on Twitter. So bye for now,” she posted.