The fate of a predator
When Harvey Weinstein realised he faced a sexual misconduct scandal, he issued a press statement to say that he was a product of the Sixties and Seventies and had hired therapists to help with his problem. But the allegations of assault do not suggest a disease or a pitiful lack of self-control. As Emma Thompson said, they paint a portrait of a “predator” – a man who stands accused of using his power and money to do whatever he wanted and get away with it. If the police and justice system find him guilty, this sordid story should end in arrest and jail – not with Mr Weinstein on a chat-show sofa, talking about his struggle to be a better person.
What matters is the women. Among the stories are heartbreaking accounts of young actresses, brimming with talent, who met a man who promised to help them. Some accuse him of rape. Mr Weinstein has denied accusations of nonconsensual sex.
Such is the scale of the Weinstein allegations that it feels as if it might be – or at least should be – a reckoning for an industry that for too long has treated the vulnerable as disposable objects, and which hides its ugliness behind a veneer of liberalism. In that bizarre press release, Mr Weinstein promised that once he had finished finding himself, he would turn his attention to fighting for gun control. Is the world supposed to infer that because he votes Democrat, he can’t be all bad?
The question now is: who knew what? Mr Weinstein’s former colleagues and political friends have issued statements claiming ignorance or regretting a lack of action. Those who know more will, hopefully, find the courage to speak out. America needs to confront how deep this rot went because Mr Weinstein wasn’t just tolerated, he was enabled. The US entertainment complex must put its house in order, not only for the sake of its global reputation but also for the countless talented women who wish to build a career in the film industry and who shouldn’t have to put up with any semblance of manipulation or abuse. There are simply no excuses for it.