Weinstein hired former spies to target accusers
HARVEY WEINSTEIN hired former spies and military personnel to stop his accusers going public with allegations of sexual misconduct, a leading magazine has reported.
The private detectives are said to have used fake identities and recorded conversations to build a picture of those making the claims, according to The New Yorker. The Hollywood mogul reportedly hired Black Cube, a security firm that employs people once with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and Kroll, the corporate intelligence giant.
The article was written by Ronan Farrow, who reported some of the original Mr Weinstein allegations.
His piece says two Black Cube private investigators met with Rose Mcgowan, the actress who would later accuse Mr Weinstein of raping her, to obtain information. One pretended to be a women’s rights advocate while meeting Mcgowan and recorded some of the conversations, according to the magazine.
Journalists investigating Mr Weinstein were also said to have been approached in an apparent attempt to gain information about those making allegations.
The magazine said documents were compiled detailing the women, their claims and even pictures of them alongside Mr Weinstein after the alleged incidents.
Ms Mcgowan told the magazine: “It scared me because I knew what it meant to be threatened by Harvey. I was in fear of him finding me.”
Sallie Hofmeister, Mr Weinstein’s spokesman, told the magazine: “It is a fiction to suggest that any individuals were targeted or suppressed at any time.”
A spokesman for Black Cube said: “It is Black Cube’s policy to never discuss its clients with any third party, and to never confirm or deny any speculation made with regard to the company’s work. Black Cube operates in full compliance with the law of any jurisdiction in which it operates.”