There is no shortage of celebrities who are embroiled in serious sexual assault allegations. The latest addition to this well-known list that includes names like Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby, Casey Affleck and R. Kelly is Harvey Weinstein, a top producer in Hollywood.
There is no shortage of celebrities who are embroiled in serious sexual assault allegations. The latest addition to this well-known list that includes names like Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby, Casey Affleck and R. Kelly is Harvey Weinstein, a top producer in Hollywood.
The executive producer to prolific films like Scream, Good Will Hunting, Shakespeare in Love, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gangs of New York, Chicago, Kill Bill and many others, Weinstein is said to have taken an indefinite leave of absence from Weinstein Company while sexual harassment allegations against him are investigated by the board.
The decision was made following a scathing expose that appeared in The New York Times earlier last week in which it was reported that his treatment of women is far from acceptable and that he has paid off sexual harassment accusers for decades. Among those who have spoken up against the producer is actor Ashley Judd who admitted to being sexually harassed by him two decades ago in his room at the Peninsula. Other women, speaking to NYT, described behavior that can only be construed as harassment. There are dozens of women who have been assaulted or harassed by him.
While Weinstein did apologize in a statement, it isn’t enough. Consequently, the producer is on leave while the board has hired an outside law firm to investigate things.
Harvey Weinstein is the Co-Chairman of the Weinstein Company and in his absence Bob Weinstein and COO David Glasser will run things. Though his decision to take a leave was voluntary, there is no word on when he will be able to come back. In a statement, the board noted: “As Harvey has said, it is important for him to get professional help for the problems he has acknowledged. Next steps will depend on Harvey’s therapeutic progress, the outcome of the Board’s independent investigation, and Harvey’s own personal decisions.”
In addition, one-third of the “nine-man board” at Weinstein Company has resigned in protest. Similarly, Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of women’s advocacy group Ultra Violet said on the matter: “Harvey Weinstein’s decades of predatory behavior towards the women his company employed with zero consequences is a textbook example of rape culture in Hollywood. Weinstein’s attempts to justify his behavior are flat out insulting to all sexual harassment survivors, including the women who were forced to endure his abusive, creepy and relentless advances. The board of The Weinstein Company must prove that it stands by its company’s sexual harassment policy, and that this policy applies to everyone, including its owners, by firing Harvey Weinstein immediately.”
At this point, most of mainstream Hollywood is quiet including the likes of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow. However, Brie Larson, Lena Dunham, Amber Tamblyn, Scott Derrickson (director, Doctor Strange) and producer-director Judd Apathow have tweeted in support of actors Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, both of whom are named in the NYT expose.
Larson, taking to Twitter, wrote: “As always, I stand with the brave survivors of sexual assault and harassment. It’s not your fault. I believe you.”
