Harvey Weinstein

[caperberries]

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

The utterly depressing, because utterly predictable, thing about this is the goddamn time it has taken.

As always, you get the brave, brave outriders who stick their heads above the parapet and tell the truth. And they get shot at and hurt in the process. And it takes this long, slow, rising tide - even in a case as utterly clear-cut as this one - for other people to say that they believe them, let alone join them. The moral cowardice on display, over and over and over again, in the face of power, is disgusting. It's not just these high-flying execs either - there are men in every large workplace who have similar reputations, for similarly good reasons.

I'm so sorry that happened to you bananas

Agree with Darth. Some posters here seem to be very naive about how powerful HW was. And for a very long time.

Won't Casey Affleck be due to present the 2018 Best Actress Academy Award to the winner? (I think the previous year's Best Actor presents to the Best Actress and the same for new Best Actor being presented by the previous Best Actress winner.)

Imagine winning only to be faced by him. and get to be damned if you/damned if you don't over how you accept the award.

Like a pp I too have boycotted Casey Affleck movies (I'm sure he couldn't give two hoots, but I have to make a stand somewhere and if it's merely in refusing to fork out a tenner to see his film at the cinema, I'll do it) since I read about his own Weinstein-esque acts.

It's probably been said elsewhere but I'm not impressed - in fact am deeply disappointed - by the likes of Matt Damon. The man has FOUR DAUGHTERS. He has a very liberal and impressive mother. Bullshit he knew nothing about these 'rumours', and yet he carried on making movies with the man. As for the claims he helped get a story quashed years ago - it's appalling. I notice he hasn't responded to questions about it yet. I get that it's hard now to say anything without having to say, 'you know what, I'm embarrassed and ashamed etc'... But if he doesn't address all this, he's going on my boycott list too.

(And I met him once, and he was lovely, so it's with regret. But I'm genuinely disappointed. I though he was a good guy. What's the fucking point of being a liberal, highly-educated powerful man, with all his good causes eg water to 3rd world countries etc, if you don't speak out against sexual abuse?)

Agree with darth that the true scumbags, however, apart from HW himself, are the Miramax crew who only acted when they knew it was all out there. Those who sent actresses to his hotel rooms for decades, knowing the risk they were putting them into. Disgraceful.

Sad thing is, the story is only too familiar to many women I know, to a greater or lesser degree. I don't want my daughter to grow up in a world where this is OK until it's found out. It should never be OK.

You’re entitled to your opinion @MargaretTwatyer but personally I think you underestimate just how powerful these big production companies are.

There are many well respected actors whose careers have literally fallen of a cliff for getting on the wrong side of big Hollywood Players such as HW.

There are only so many great parts and thousands of talented actors out there. Everyone is easily replaceable.

It’s easy to say they should have spoken out - but think of it this way - if I accused someone at work of harassment, without any proof, without any evidence from a (legally silenced) victim what would the repercussions be? I could be charged with gross misconduct for making false allegations.

This is because the power dynamic is massively unbalanced. Accusing these actresses is missing the point. They are manipulated and coerced by an industry that is woefully lacking in any best practices, standards and where redress is virtually non existent as @BananasAreGood has articulated.

A “good” outcome is coming away with a settlement with a gagging clause. Otherwise you’ll likely find yourself blackballed, bad mouthed and unemployable.

We have no idea what some of these women may well have done privately to express their concerns and/or to support fellow actresses.

It may well be HW’s brother instigated this by leaking information to the NYT. Does he want a standing ovation? This has been going on for decades. It may well be he thought the the situation could not be contained or it was an opportunity to take control (or both).

I’m damn certain though that he hasn’t suddenly developed a conscience and did it to stop his brother abusing more women. Same for the rest of executives at TWC.

I might be naive but if every actor/director particularly male ones called it out they can't all be blackballed. Otherwise it just happens again, there will always be another HW, another Saville.

to support fellow actresses.

And how do you organise such a coup @Getout21 without alerting the HW’s of the world that’s what you are doing?

There are only so many great parts and thousands of talented actors out there. Everyone is easily replaceable.

So basically what you're saying is that you find it acceptable to turn a blind eye to mass scale sexual assault for money and success.

And we're not talking about feed your family type survival but to be insanely rich and live a hugely privileged lifestyle.

Which is exactly the problem. We live in a society where it is seen as perfectly okay to turn a blind eye to this sort of stuff to protect your own wealth and privilege. That's exactly why it happened with Savile and Weinstein. And exactly why it will keep on happening.

And remember they weren't just being polite and civil. They were shoving their noses right up his fundament and helping him maintain and grow the power which allowed him to do it.

These stars aren't scared and powerless little people fighting a police state for basic rights. They're wealthy and powerful in their own right and wanted to protect that and were prepared to morally bankrupt themselves to do that.

BBC article reporting that HW sent out an email to his Hollywood associates asking for their help before he was fired: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41563269

And how do you organise such a coup @Getout21 without alerting the HW’s of the world that’s what you are doing?

Well I think the entire point would be to alert the world. And it's not that far fetched as it seems to have happened now.

But nobody started this before because they were all too busy making a profit to give a shit about people getting raped.

Quote from the article:

According to those who said they had seen it, the email read: "My board is thinking of firing me. All I'm asking is let me take a leave of absence and get into heavy therapy and counselling.

"Whether it be in a facility or somewhere else, allow me to resurrect myself with a second chance. A lot of the allegations are false as you know but given therapy and counselling as other people have done, I think I'd be able to get there.

"I could really use your support or just your honesty if you can't support me."

The email adds: "We believe what the board is trying to do is not only wrong but might be illegal and would destroy the company. If you could write this letter backing me, getting me the help and time away I need, and also stating your opposition to the board firing me, it would help me a lot. I am desperate for your help. Just give me the time to have therapy. Do not let me be fired. If the industry supports me, that is all I need."

This is why you have so many people turned off by Hollywood even here in the US. People might laugh at 'rednecks' from the biblebelt but many ordinary people see what is going on and don't like it.

Cinema attendance is down in part because movies are terrible. Part of the reason they are so terrible is because of terrible working practices where women are treated appallingly.

Same with certain parts of the music. Look no further than Keshia.

at the end of the day people just don't want to get involved.
unless someone had hard proof, it would be impossible for them to speak out. and even with hard proof it is near impossible, I've seen it in other work situations.

Many people have lawyers that they can afford to have you tied in knots for the rest of your life.
I am condoning this being brushed under the carpet, but how on earth do the little people (in this case young powerless actresses) win?

it's all so fucking depressing and happens in every sector of society. How do we end this kind of abuse, I honestly don't have the answer because it's being going on since the beginning of time.

I’m not saying at all that turning a blind eye to secure your own success is acceptable.

Again I think you miss my point.

What frustrates me now is that the focus seems to be wholly focused on those who had heard rumours and speculation and not on the people who not only had proof and knowledge, but proactively conspired to keep HW in a position of power.

Equally the reason why this has come to light is looking increasingly like people who had proof leaked it to the NYT. He was thrown under a bus because it finally suited someone to do so.

People who didn’t have access to information on all the lawsuits would not have been able to do this.

The NYT would not have printed an article accusing HW without the proof that was leaked to them.

Even some of the ‘insanely rich’ types struggle for parts, especially older women. So, when your livelihood is potentially threatened, what are you going to do? And the thought of having your personal life shredded to pieces and distorted by the media and the judicial system must be horrendous. It’s not the black and white situation you make it out to be Margaret.

The richer the man the better the divorce payouts, so they're not going to starve.

YY I hate the “she’s staying with him for the money”. In the US especially they would get handsome divorce settlements. I think actually these women are scared to leave, these men are predatory, ergo they have abusive traits. The only difference between their situation and a lot of less well-off women that post on here, terrified to defy their horrible OHs, is money. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t be just as scared to leave. Look at the Trumps - everything about them screams abusive relationship.

In the US especially they would get handsome divorce settlements.

Nope. Not if they had a pre-nup.

southeast dweller, you're just making the same argument again. That it's fine to turn a blind eye to rape and abuse as long as you still get good parts.

Really, is it any wonder that rape is so endemic when even so many women are prepared to argue it's okay to tacitly condone it as long as the money keeps rolling in?

I doubt many of the actors and actresses concerned would ever have to worry about being homeless or going to a food bank. Really we would be talking flying commercial instead of private jet and staying in a villa instead of a yacht and maybe being on Lifetime movies instead of picking up an Oscar.

But really, what would you rather do? Be complicit in industrial sex abuse or be rich and get an Oscar?

The Donna Karan comments are atrocious.

poorbuthappy, aren't they just?

That's my old-but-still-servicable DKNY handbag going off to charity shop, then.

Absolutely appalled by anyone saying what she said. Ignorant and arrogant.

Extending my largely pointless boycott to all films made by (is it still?) Miramax too.

Do we not judge women for sleeping their way to the top anymore? Do we always say they were victims of an abuse of power?

Genuinely asking. If HW says he'll make you a star if you'll just let him wank off onto your leg (an anecdote I just read) and you say ok, is that abuse? If you can stand up and walk away and say no, shouldn't you? Do we have such low standards that we don't expect young people to have any backbone at all? Don't be naive enough to think all men are bad and all women are sweet angels who wouldn't blow a producer to get a job. Everyone works their advantage in Hollywood. Fgs, look at Katie Holmes! Rose McGowan herself took the 100K and agreed to go quietly. He paid her off, leaving him free to carry on doing the same to others.

Harvey Weinstein is a disgusting man, just in case my post reads like I am defending him. It's right that he's sacked, right that he's ruined hopefully.

But I bet if he walked along the screaming queues of wannabes at the next X-factor audition and promised them a part in a movie if they shagged him, he'd have plenty of takers. Whose fault is that? His? Theirs? Ours????

WhatsThis it's not a case of women willingly 'sleeping their way to the top'. It's a case of 'even if they didn't want to engage in sexual acts as a career move he'd do it anyway'.

The issue is there was no consent.

I'm afraid all I can think is the lot of them are odious. Still, if it were down to me, Hollywood wouldn't exist. I do not consume its product, and thus foul episode is unlikely to make me change my habits.