Oscar-goers will see Harvey on Casting Couch
Los Angeles – Harvey Weinstein won’t be going to tomorrow’s Oscar ceremony, but the film producer’s presence is still being felt in Hollywood.
Los Angeles-based street artist Plastic Jesus on Thursday unveiled a statue called Casting Couch depicting a life-size Weinstein in a bathrobe sitting on a golden couch and holding an Oscar. It was installed near the Hollywood venue where the Academy Awards ceremony will be held.
More than 70 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, including rape. Weinstein has denied having nonconsensual sex with anyone.
His representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the installation.
The accusations against Weinstein triggered a flood of allegations of sexual impropriety by other celebrities that have rocked Hollywood and dominated this year’s movie awards season.
“While many thought the ‘casting couch’ was a thing of the past, it was clearly still a part of the Hollywood culture,” Plastic Jesus said on his Facebook page. “Hopefully now, in the light of recent allegations against many leading figures in Hollywood, the industry will clean up its act,” he said.
Weinstein was one of the movie industry’s most influential men, powering independent movies such as The King’s Speech and Shakespeare in Love to Oscar best picture wins.
He was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last year and fired from his company, the Weinstein Company. The company said this week it planned to file for bankruptcy.
The Casting Couch statue followed the appearance in Los Angeles on Wednesday of billboards designed by street artist Sabo that accused the entertainment industry of staying silent about sexual misconduct.
Plastic Jesus said the Weinstein statue was a collaboration with the artist Joshua “Ginger” Monroe and took two months to produce.
It was paid for by several donations through their websites.