Many Hollywood actresses, including Rose McGowan and Lena Dunham, spoke out against Harvey Weinstein in light of the sexual harassment allegations made against him.
As Us Weekly previously reported, Weinstein announced he was taking a leave of absence from The Weinstein Company film studio after The New York Times published an extensive report detailing decades of sexual harassment allegations against him. In the article, Ashley Judd went on record about an alleged experience she had with the Hollywood producer in which she arrived to his hotel for what she assumed was a meeting, but instead she was greeted by Weinstein in a bathrobe asking the actress if she wanted to watch him take a shower.
Weinstein has since denied Judd’s claims in an interview in Page Six, in which he noted, “After this supposed incident, which she says was in 1997 while filming Kiss The Girls, I took her to an Academy Award party where we were photographed smiling. She claimed to the Times she never worked with me again. She did two movies with me — Frida, which came out in 2002, and Crossing Over with Harrison Ford, released in 2009.”
McGowan, who The New York Times claims to have been involved in her own settlement with Weinstein, took to Twitter to state, “Ladies of Hollywood, your silence is deafening.” She later tweeted, “Agents, managers, Directors, casting agents, producers, distributors, SAG, DGA, PGA, Studio heads, Network = 30 year cover up.”
Girls creator Dunham also spoke out, calling Judd a “hero” and blasted the Shakespeare in Love producer with a tweet that declared, “Imagine you’d worked your ass off to get into an industry and coming forward would take it all away?”
The two actresses were not alone — Brie Larson, 28, tweeted, “I stand with the brave survivors of sexual assault and harassment. It’s not your fault. I believe you.” The 21 Jump Street star, who famously chose not to clap for Casey Affleck — who was accused of sexual misconduct — when he won an Oscar earlier this year, is an advocate for survivors of sexual assault.
Amber Tamblyn wrote, “Stand with @AshleyJudd or give your legs to someone else. What she and others have just done is painful and difficult and triumphant.” America Ferrera shared that sentiment, writing, “This abuse of power must be called out, however powerful the abuser, and we must publicly stand with those brave enough to come forward.”
The Times‘ article claimed Weinstein has been accused of sexually harassing women in the film industry for nearly three decades and that he reached legal settlements between $80,000 and $150,000 with at least eight women.
In a statement Weinstein shared with The New York Times on October 5, he noted, “I came of age in the 60’s and 70’s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then. I have since learned it’s not an excuse, in the office — or out of it. To anyone. I realized some time ago that I needed to be a better person and my interactions with the people I work with have changed” before revealing that he is working with a team of therapists to help “conquer my demons.”
Weinstein’s attorney, Charles Harder, tells Us Weekly that his team is preparing a lawsuit due to the Times’ “false and defamatory statements.”
It’s also been suggested that Weinstein’s brother and co-founder of The Weinstein Company, Bob Weinstein, may have been the person to expose the allegations, according to a Friday, October 6, Page Six article.
Lisa Bloom also announced she has “resigned as an advisor to Harvey Weinstein” on Twitter on Saturday, October 7.
I have resigned as an advisor to Harvey Weinstein.
My understanding is that Mr. Weinstein and his board are moving toward an agreement.
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) October 7, 2017
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