Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein accused of sexual harassment, takes leave of absence

An explosive New York Times story Thursday aired allegations of sexual harassment against the famed movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who told the publication he would take a leave of absence from his studio, the Weinstein Company.

The Times story is remarkable not just because it uncovered that Weinstein reached at least eight settlements with women over the years, but also because a very high-profile figure — Ashley Judd — went on record. Her story dates back to the 1990s, when, she said, Weinstein lured her to his hotel room for a “meeting” then tried to coerce her into giving him a massage or watching him shower.

“Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it’s simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly,” Judd told the Times.

Weinstein’s lawyer, Charles Harder, said the famed movie producer plans to sue the newspaper, telling the Hollywood Reporter that the Times story is riddled with inaccuracies.

“It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by 9 different eyewitnesses,” Harder told THR in an email. “We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women’s organizations.”

A call to Harder’s law office was not immediately returned, nor was a request for comment from the Times.

This response is somewhat at odds with Weinstein’s own statement to the Times, which was at least partially contrite.

“I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it,” Weinstein told the Times. “Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go. That is my commitment. My journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons.”

He also said his issues stemmed, in part, from the fact that he “came of age in the 60’s and 70’s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then.”

Another lawyer advising him, Lisa Bloom, was quoted in the Times as saying that Weinstein “denies many of the accusations as patently false,” which gave some readers of the story pause, because it avoided refuting all of the claims.