Weinstein now accused of rape
Three women come forward to charge the mogul with crimes
Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, already suspected of decades of sexual harassment, came under withering fire Tuesday with a new report accusing him of raping three women he had worked with during his long tenure as one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures.
The new report in the New Yorker magazine was followed within hours by a second article in the New York Times that included accounts from actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie about Weinstein’s harassment of them early in their careers.
The twin stories were a devastating blow to Weinstein’s legacy and reputation, which already had been badly damaged last week by a Times story reporting that Weinstein had reached monetary settlements with eight women who alleged he had pressured them for sex. Those revelations forced the board of the Weinstein Co. to fire him as co-chairman Sunday.
The stories Tuesday coincided with public condemnation of Weinstein from Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Weinstein has been a longtime Democratic donor and was a supporter of President Bill Clinton during his campaigns and of Hillary Clinton in 2016; the Weinstein Co. also employed President Barack Obama’s eldest daughter, Malia, as an intern this year.
“I was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein,” Hillary Clinton said in a statement. “The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior.”