Weinstein scandal deepens
Jolie and Paltrow join list of those alleging sexual harassment against movie mogul
Hollywood is reeling as allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual misconduct continue to surface about Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein.
What you need to know about the movie mogul and the disturbing claims made against him:
Q Who is Harvey Weinstein?
A Weinstein,
65, has a seemingly endless list of credits to his name, including Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, Silver Linings Playbook and Django Unchained. Gangs of New York earned him a bestpicture Oscar nomination, a category he won in 1999 with Shakespeare in Love.
With his brother, Bob Weinstein, 62, he founded distribution company Miramax in 1979, which Disney acquired in 1993 for
$80 million, The New York Times said. The brothers started The Weinstein Company in 2005.
Weinstein also has political ties. He hosted a fundraising dinner for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Malia Obama completed an internship with his company this past year.
He has been married to Georgina Chapman, co-founder of the high-end fashion label Marchesa, since 2007.
Q How did the allegations surface?
A On Thursday, The New York Times reported it had learned of legal settlements with at least eight women.
Many of Weinstein’s accusers have been young female employees of his production companies, The Times reports. But they also include actress Ashley Judd, who says Weinstein invited her to his Beverly Hills hotel room for a meeting about 20 years ago and then suggested he give her a massage or she watch him shower.
Journalist Lauren Sivan also recounted to HuffPost an incident with Weinstein she says happened a decade ago. Sivan said Weinstein cornered her in a restaurant, and when she rejected his advances, he masturbated in front of her.
Q How has Weinstein responded?
A Weinstein
issued a statement to The Times in which he tried to explain his behavior: “I came of age in the ’ 60s and ’70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then.”
His apology continued: “I have since learned it’s not an excuse, in the office — or out of it. To anyone. I realized some time ago that I needed to be a better person, and my interactions with the people I work with have changed.
“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’s attorney, Charles J. Harder, told USA TODAY: “The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein. 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. ... We are preparing the lawsuit now.”
Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha told USA TODAY, “We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting.”
Q What has happened since the news broke?
A The Weinstein Company has ousted Weinstein. Company representative Nicole Quenqua sent a statement Sunday to USA TODAY: “In light of new information about misconduct by Harvey Weinstein that has emerged in the past few days ... his employment with The Weinstein Company is terminated, effective immediately.”
On Tuesday, The New Yorker published its own report on Weinstein, detailing accusations of rape and sexual assault. The piece, written by Ronan Farrow, includes accounts from three women who say the producer forced them to perform or receive oral sex and forced vaginal sex.
Q How is Hollywood responding ?
A Lin- Manuel Miranda, Glenn Close, Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep and Judi Dench are just a few of the stars speaking out. George Clooney called Weinstein’s actions “indefensible” in The Daily Beast Monday.
Q Why is this such a big deal?
A The power and influence Weinstein had as a media mogul with a career spanning decades makes the accusations even more astounding. The whisper networks that kept women informed about Weinstein’s inappropriate behavior illustrate how difficult it can be for women to speak out in situations like these.
Q What’s next?
A With allegations of sexual assault and rape, the question becomes how vulnerable Weinstein is to lawsuits.