Hard ‘Times’ for columnist over missives
THE RED-FACED moments keepcoming for Sony Pictures — and now the Old Gray Lady is involved in the mounting hacking scandal.
NewemailsreleasedFridaysuggest NewYorkTimescolumnist Maureen Dowd — who was writing about Sony exec Amy Pascal — promised to show her work to an ex-Times reporter before it was published, Buzzfeed reported.
Theex-reporterwasBernardWeinraub—alsoknownasPascal’shusband.
When the column appeared in print, Pascal was thrilled — and emailed her appreciation to Dowd, according to the leaked emails published by Buzzfeed.
Theirmutuallove-festwas uncovered as part of the massive hack on Sony carried out by an online group known as Guardians ofPeace.
Dowd wrote the column after the Academy Awards,andinitshelamented that the industry was “overwhelmingly white, male and middle-aged.”
Pascal, one of thetopexecsatSony, was lauded by Dowd for her impressive track record. She’s green-lighted female directorsNoraEphronandNancyMeyers, as well as commercial hits such as the “Spider-Man” franchise, “The Social Network” and “American Hustle.”
“I would makesureyoulookgreat and we’d check it all and do it properly,” Dowd wrote to Pascal in an email when shewasattemptingtoconvincethe Sony exec to participate.
Pascal was still nervous, however, so her husband stepped in, Buzzfeed reported. Weinraub (inset) emailed his wife that he had told Dowd that Pascal’s reputation that she just makes “women's filmsisunfairandsexist.”
“I’M NOT TALKING TO HER IF SHE IS GONNASLAMME,”Pascalrespondedin allcaps. “PLEASEFINDOUT.”
Weinraub wrote back to his wife, Pascal, “Youcan’ttell(a)singlepersonthat I’m seeing the column before it’s printed ... no P.R. people or (Sony Entertainment CEO Michael) Lynton or anyone should know.”
Pascal was happy with the story once it was published, writing Dowd (again in all caps), “I THOUGHT THE STORY WAS GREATIHOPE(YOU’RE)HAPPY.”
Dowd shot down Buzzfeed’s story Friday, telling TheWrapthatshenever showed her column to Weinraub — her “old friend” — before it was published. Dowd added that while she corresponded with Weinraub to “get his perspective” on themale-dominated filmindustry, she stated that “I didn’t send him thecolumn
beforehand ”