A CULTURE OF COMPLICITY

Weinstein’s voracious persecution of young actresses over decades didn’t happen in a vacuum, those in the know say.

The mogul surrounded himself with a phalanx of enablers who looked the other way. Talent manager Alan Somers – who’s worked with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Alba – spoke with disgust of the “sickness” that allowed Weinstein to harass women for decades.

The studio boss’ assistants acted as accomplices, he told an Australian news site. “It’s like the guy who drives the car at a bank robbery.”

Jeff Herman, a lawyer who represents sexual abuse cases, told British newspaper The Guardian that companies like Weinstein’s often facilitated abusive encounters masquerading as work meetings. “Sending limousines to pick up the victim, making flight arrangements. These guys aren’t making their own plans, making reservations.”

Journalist Ronan Farrow of The New Yorker magazine tells of assistants whose job it was to escort the women to hotel suites or offices, effectively acting as “honeypots”.

Farrow describes how some of Weinstein’s employees told him they’d been enlisted to make the victims feel safe. According to one former staff member, Weinstein’s conduct in meetings was “brazen”.

“During a meeting with a model, the former employee said, he turned to her and demanded, ‘Tell her how good of a boyfriend I am.’ She said that when she refused to join one such meeting, Weinstein became enraged,” Farrow says.

Questions also need to be asked of the members of the board of Weinstein’s company, Miramax. Many believe it’s impossible for executives not to have known.

The New York Times’ Megan Twohey, who helped break the Weinstein exposé, claims the board knew about the claims levelled against Weinstein when they renewed his contract in 2015.