WEINSTEIN SCANDAL: MORE ACTRESSES ACCUSE FILM MOGUL OF ASSAULT
The avalanche of assault accusations against Harvey Weinstein grew on Wednesday as more actresses came forward with explosive charges against the movie mogul, whose lurid behavior has opened a Pandora’s Box of Hollywood harassment.
The new claims landed as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the Cannes film festival organization declared the abusive behavior repugnant.
‘Tip of the iceberg’
The Weinstein revelations are just “the tip of the iceberg,” comedy actor and director Rob Schneider told TMZ.
“There’s not one actress who doesn’t have a story,” he said, adding that he himself once experienced sexual harassment by a male director.
Weinstein, 65, has denied all charges.
The scandal has rocked Hollywood, with the list of the Oscar winner’s victims also reportedly now including Gwy- neth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Rosanna Arquette and French actress Judith Godreche.
On Tuesday three women, including Italian film star Asia Argento claimed that Weinstein raped them.
The Weinstein Company board has sacked him, and his wife, Georgina Chapman, told celebrity magazine People she was leaving Weinstein, with whom she has two children.
The latest allegations portray Weinstein as a ruthless sexual predator.
“He asked us to kiss and he began some sort of advances upon his direction,” actress Cara Delevingne said detailing an encounter at a hotel.
‘Everyone knew’
The bluntest accusation came from Lea Seydoux, an award-winning French star.
“That’s the most disgusting thing. He was using his power to get sex,” Seydoux said.
Argento said Weinstein forced oral sex and intercourse on her 20 years ago.—