Canadians join list of Weinstein accusers
TORONTO — Two Canadian actresses 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 Thursday night, Erika Rosenbaum of Montreal alleged the fallen movie mogul made aggressive sexual advances during three meetings nearly 15 years ago.
Weinstein, who has been fired from the film company he co-founded, has previously denied through a spokesperson 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 with him three more times to talk about her career, and alleged Weinstein acted inappropriately and tried to be intimate with her.
She alleged that 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.
Meanwhile, in an op-ed published Friday on the Globe and Mail website, 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,” went on to write about industry-wide changes needed to prevent sexual misconduct. She outlined a number of ways the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) can “support their members in a more meaningful and tangible way.”
ACTRA noted it has implemented anti-harassment policies and has taken “swift action” when incidents have 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 industrywide 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, which is the Canadian Unions for Equality on Screen, which has been documenting gender issues and the failings we’ve had,” Theresa Tova, ACTRA national treasurer and ACTRA Toronto president, said Friday in a phone interview.
“The casting couch is a reality and it’s not just south of the border and it’s not just Harvey,” said Tova.
More than 30 women have accused Weinstein of inappropriate conduct since the scandal first broke in the New York Times.