The Weinstein scandal
This is just the beginning
As Hollywood is rocked by the revelations, we’re told this is only the tip of the iceberg
It was the week that shook Hollywood to its core. Film producer Harvey Weinstein’s name had long been synonymous with blockbusters such as Chicago, The King’s Speech and Shakespeare In Love, as well as a host of A-list names. But in just a few days, his façade was stripped away as allegations emerged of a bully and a predator. One who used his power and connections to reduce some of the most famous women in the world to “victims”, too afraid to speak out. The even scarier bit? heat has been told this is just the tip of the iceberg, with one insider saying, “The fallout is only getting worse – there are a lot more revelations to come.”
THE FLOODGATES OPEN
Weinstein’s fall from grace started with an exposé in the New
York Times, which accused the 65 year old of 30 years of sexual harassment against actresses and female staff who worked for him, and paying many off to keep quiet. Actresses Rose Mcgowan and Ashley Judd were among the first famous faces to speak out against the producer, with the former accusing Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in 1997 (she has since alleged that he raped her), and the latter claiming he sexually harassed her in his hotel room when she was a fledgling star.
A landslide of further allegations followed, with celebrated actresses claiming that they, too, had been prey to Weinstein’s advances. Among the famous names coming forward with their shocking stories were Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Heather Graham, Kate Beckinsale, Mira Sorvino and Léa Seydoux. All alleged stories of being assaulted, or baited by the movie mogul, and being silenced out of fear for their careers. Angelina described having a “bad experience” with him, while Gwyneth remembered feeling “petrified” when, aged 22, she declined Weinstein’s advances in his hotel suite. “I thought he was going to fire me,” she said.
Cara Delevingne also claimed on her Instagram that, after being summoned to Weinstein’s hotel room, he tried to involve her in a threesome. She said in a statement that she felt, “guilty, as if I did something wrong”, and also “terrified that this sort of thing had happened to so many women”.
As the bombshells continued to drop, Weinstein was fired from his eponymous production company, while his wife, Marchesa founder Georgina Chapman, announced she was leaving him. He, meanwhile, made a statement denying the allegations of “non-consensual sex”, but he apologised for his past behaviour and checked himself into rehab for sex addiction.
AN OPEN SECRET
But what is, perhaps, most shocking about the revelations is the fact that they were hidden for
so long. A Hollywood insider tells
heat, “Harvey’s behaviour was widely known about, but everyone was terrified of him. He could make or break an A-list career. The scale of his abuse is a huge wake-up call for those who stuck up for him or turned a blind eye.”
The insider adds, “The word is that there is likely to be more high-profile cases, including some with audio and video evidence.” And according to our source, it is unlikely that Weinstein acted alone. “It’s a safe bet that more lawsuits will be filed and Weinstein’s victims will be naming all the people who were complicit or aware of his behaviour,” we’re told. “It will show who’s been protecting him all this time.