Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Harvey Weinstein

993 replies

caperberries · 06/10/2017 09:17

Rumours have been circulating about this disgusting man and his sleazy casting couch for years... He has offered a half-hearted apology, but seems rather smug about the fact that his family are supporting him.

AIBU to think his wife is misguided? What sort of example is she setting to her daughter? After all, this isn't a one-off - it is a pattern of serious abuse of women over decades.

www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
caperberries · 11/10/2017 10:22

Weinstein's delusional, self-important comments here really make my skin crawl:

“I’ve got to deal with my personality, I’ve got to work on my temper, I have got to dig deep. I know a lot of people would like me to go into a facility, and I may well just do that—I will go anywhere I can learn more about myself.” Weinstein went on, “In the past I used to compliment people, and some took it as me being sexual, I won’t do that again.” In his statement to the Times, Weinstein claimed that he would “channel that anger” into a fight against the leadership of the National Rifle Association. He also said that it was not “coincidental” that he was organizing a foundation for women directors at the University of Southern California. “It will be named after my mom and I won’t disappoint her.”

And from his lawyer:

Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual. Mr. Weinstein has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path. Mr. Weinstein is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance.”

UGH UGH UGH revolting

www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/from-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories

OP posts:
CakesRUs · 11/10/2017 10:23

twatty I agree. He's vile. She may decide down the line to leave him.

CaveMum · 11/10/2017 10:23

Here's a clip from the VD interview just now: twitter.com/victorialive/status/918043580068802560

CaveMum · 11/10/2017 10:27

Another clip: twitter.com/victorialive/status/918044851039436800

Justbreathing · 11/10/2017 10:35

in terms of GP - well, I was assualted by a good friend once, and honestly my way of dealing with it was to minimise it, get on with life, pretend it was ok, he was still part of the friendship group. I distanced myself as I got older and realised much later how wrong it was, I don't think we can blame her for going onto work with him. lots of victims deal with things differently.
Notice how all of these women were in their early 20s

Now there are a lot of good looking/stunning women in their 30s in hollywood, but he didn't seem to target them. He knew exactly how a younger more insecure person might react, as opposed to a more confident slightly older person.

guilty100 · 11/10/2017 10:43

cavemum - Oh, would that be Richard Hillgrove the tax fraudster

www.prweek.com/article/1444797/tax-fraud-pr-man-richard-hillgrove-faces-bankruptcy-hmrc-demands-24500

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 11/10/2017 10:44

Just heard the audio from when he sexually harassed the 22 year-old model. Makes my skin crawl. Rancid man

TrickOrRuddyTreat · 11/10/2017 10:47

That's an interesting article derxa and I mostly agree but not with this:

That brings me to the one group that has understandably been spared any criticism at all: the victims. I don’t condemn their silence when young and powerless. But there’s a real problem: Many stayed silent for decades happily pocketing money from people they were willing to denounce only after it was safe — or even profitable — to do so.

I'm sorry but it's a bit of a leap to assume that the only reason a victim doesnt speak up is because they had no clout - what happened to these women was humiliating and very personal; they are under no obligation to speak about it and nor should they be. Perhaps the pain of reliving it was too much or maybe they just want some privacy when so much of the rest of their lives is up for grabs. Whatever their reasons they are entitled to make their own decisions without the media blaming them for the actions of a slimy frog-faced git.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 11/10/2017 10:51

I’ve been sexually assaulted and harassed. If those men go on to sexually and harass other women, it’s because they’re sexual predators, not because I didn’t turn them in. It’s not up to women to correct the bad behaviour of men.

MargaretTwatyer · 11/10/2017 10:55

What you are failing to recognise, and I'm tempted to see this as a symptom of how celebrity-obsessed this discussion is, is that fame isn't the only kind of power. Weinstein had a power to make movies happen, to make careers happen, that meant that he held the threads of people's futures in his hands. Including apparently powerful people.

Actually I think it's you who is the celebrity obsessed one.

Repeatedly on this thread people who seem to think they are taking the 'right on' PC approach to this (like you just there) have claimed it is acceptable to turn a blind eye to sexual assault as long as you get a Hollywood career out of it and get to be rich and famous. You and others are the ones who are saying that wealth and fame are worth condoning the abuse of others for. Do you see why you're being hypocritical.

It takes a lot of guts to piss off someone who has power over you. It's the right thing to do, but not that many people have that moral courage to risk their livelihood, their career, their reputation sticking their head above the parapet. We should be applauding those women who have, they've been brave.

I will applaud Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd who actually were brave by breaking cover. I will applaud Angelina Jolie who might not have felt able to break cover but never condoned what he did and was not complicit by working with him when she knew what he was doing, or posing for photos with him or giving speeches about how wonderful he was.

I will not praise Gwyneth bloody Paltrow. Her parents might only have been 'moderately famous' but her father was a very successful director and producer and her family were one of the best connected in Hollywood. Steven SPIELBERG is her godfather FFS. She was at the time going out with one of the hottest male actors in the industry who was prepared to fight her corner. Basically she recovered from knocking him back because she was connected. Angelina Jolie probably did for the same reason. But at least she had the decency not to tacitly condone his behaviour by working with him and posing with him and singing his praises. And Angelina Jolie's career is absolute proof that the even better connected Paltrow didn't need to do that to have a career. She CHOSE to do it because turning a blind eye got her what she wanted the easiest way.

Paltrow would have known full well that if Mindy Trott from Shitsville, Ohio had turned him down in that room she wouldn't have been as lucky. She would have known that her actions in gilding Weinstein's lily were adding to the power and untouchability that allowed him to do this. But she did it anyway.

Rose McGowan, Mira Sorvino and Rosanna Arquette had unconnected parents who were bit part actors or not Hollywood. They were the ones who had their careers destroyed. Not Paltrow. Jolie had the principles not to associate herself with a man like that. Paltrow didn't. She knew she was protected by her connections so went on to work with him extensively despite knowing other women weren't so lucky.

She might have had an unpleasant experience with him but I am certainly not going to applaud someone who tacitly condoned what he was doing to other women secure in the knowledge it wouldn't happen to her again.

IfYouGoDownToTheWoodsToday · 11/10/2017 10:57

Why are so many people looking at the victims such as GP or AJ and questioning their behaviour?! It makes my blood boil and only serves to take the attention away from the vile pig HW.

With some people it's ALWAYS a woman's fault somewhere along the line isn't it?{hmm]

derxa · 11/10/2017 11:02

It’s not up to women to correct the bad behaviour of men. Yes to this

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 11/10/2017 11:03

IfYou someone on MN once said they’re a feminist because whenever a man does something awful he and other people blame the nearest woman. I’ve found this to be scarily true!

ThePeanutGallery · 11/10/2017 11:06

We have no idea what actually happened with GP. What was said afterwards, what she was told. She grew up in Hollywood, this stuff was probably normalized for her.

I feel sorry for her. Must have been hard having to be around that sleaze bucket after what he did.

MargaretTwatyer · 11/10/2017 11:08

It's not up to women to correct the bad behaviour of men.

There is a big difference between expecting women to correct the bad behaviour of men and expecting them not to tacitly condone it by promoting and praising men they know are engaged in that behaviour. It's not a matter of blaming women either because Paltrow is in exactly the same league at Damon, the Afflecks, Clooney etc who knew exactly what was going on and closed their eyes.

Pitt and Jolie absolutely prove that brown nosing Weildstein, promoting him, praising him, associating with him and working with him are not a prerequisite for success in Hollywood.

TacoFlavouredKisses · 11/10/2017 11:10

I'm not too hot on US law (and sorry if it's already been covered)... but is there a reason for him being allowed to float off to Europe to find himself rather than being immediately arrested?

guilty100 · 11/10/2017 11:11

Margaret - your posts are amazingly offensive.

I am absolutely not saying that it is acceptable to turn a blind eye to sexual assault if you get a career out of it. That is a deliberate misreading of what I actually wrote. What I am saying is that you can be wealthy and famous yet still be in the power of a predatory male, and frightened to take them on. As your own post notes, there are plenty of women who appear at this point to have paid big prices for taking him on. When, on the tape, he tells the frightened actress not to call him again, it's not a point of social nicety - he's saying she's dumped as an actress in future from projects over which he has control.

Nor have I said at any point that Paltrow should be applauded. I said she shouldn't be blamed for not speaking out, and that those who did should be applauded. You simply do not know the circumstances of these people, or why they took the decisions they did. You don't know what Paltrow did, or didn't do.

It is not condoning that behaviour to be too terrified of personal or professional consequences to speak out. It is being a victim.

For the record, I was raped and I didn't take it to court because of a whole variety of personal circumstances, including the continued power that the person had not only over me but those around me. The latter weighed very heavily on my mind.

The fact is that we need to talk about the structural causes of this in terms of power relations. Making it about the victims is not only unfair - it ignores the much wider issue of how people could become so powerful that they can essentially demand a trade of sexual favours for jobs.

DeleteOrDecay · 11/10/2017 11:17

It’s not up to women to correct the bad behaviour

This in spades.

IfYouGoDownToTheWoodsToday · 11/10/2017 11:21

MargaretTwattery

What an appropriate username.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 11/10/2017 11:25

Maragaret do you understand the difference between someone who is a victim of sexual assault and someone who isn’t?

nauticant · 11/10/2017 11:25

Sadly TacoFlavouredKisses you'll find that many of these offences will be outside of the relevant statute of limitation periods for criminal proceedings for sexual assault.

There's more information here:

www.nytimes.com/2016/11/07/arts/television/after-bill-cosby-states-shift-sexual-assault-statutes-of-limitations.html

TacoFlavouredKisses · 11/10/2017 11:40

Thanks nauticant - interesting and sad. Tacking the statute of limitations on to my searches has brought up some interesting reading.

Getout21 · 11/10/2017 11:53

That was a good article in the LA Times. not sure who posted.

All those who (rightfully) denounced Trump just look like hypocrites & have played right into his hands.

Swipe left for the next trending thread