Multiple allegations
of rape, sexual harassment and trading sex for movie roles have forced
one of the most powerful men in show business out of his company and
begging for help and forgiveness.
But the ripples extending from the wake of Weinstein’s dramatic
fall extend much further than his business and personal relationships
and so far show no signs of abating.
From the women he allegedly abused, to the associates
who allegedly knew about his behavior all along but stayed silent, to
the A-list actors and actresses who depend on him for their
career-making roles, many of the biggest Tinseltown titans are wondering
what their lives — and show business itself — will look like in a
post-Weinstein town.
The clues
Who knew what, and when? While nobody has come out to
say they knew Weinstein was abusing and attacking women, there have been
hints over the years that all was not well at Miramax and The Weinstein
Company.
Writer and producer Seth MacFarlane arrives at the HBO after
party after the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills,
California January 13, 2013.
(Reuters)
In 2013, Seth MacFarlane
joked during the Academy Awards
nomination press conference that the five best supporting actress
nominees “no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey
Weinstein.” His co-presenter Emma Stone uncomfortably laughed at his
punchline.
Nathan Lane recounted an altercation with Weinstein
when the film producer threw him against a wall at Hillary Clinton’s
birthday party.
Ewan McGregor alleged on Wednesday
via Twitter
that it was a known Hollywood secret writing, “It's about time this
came to light and he is getting [his] just deserts. Heard rumours over
the years but this is awful. Bye Bully!"
Actress Rose McGowan poses at amfAR's Fifth Annual Inspiration Gala in Los Angeles, California October 29, 2014.
(Reuters)
Rose McGowan, one of Weinstein’s accusers, shared a
screenshot of an undated exchange she had with several people in the
past. She
captioned the post,
“Bob Weinstein is a POS. They allllll knew.” Bob, is the brother of
Harvey, who recently denounced his brother as a "sick man."
Asia Argento,
who accused the former movie mogul of rape, said she reenacted the
alleged sexual assault in a 1999 film. She claims Weinstein saw the
scene and joked about it.
The hand wringing
Many of those close to Weinstein have spoken out
against their former friend, all while claiming ignorance of the extent
of his behavior.
Ben Affleck lashed out on Weinstein on Tuesday. He wrote on
social media,
“The additional allegations of assault that I read this morning made me
sick. This is completely unacceptable, and I find myself asking what I
can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to others. We need to do better
at protecting our sisters, friends, co-workers and daughters. We must
support those who come forward, condemn this type of behavior when we
see it and help ensure there are more women in positions of power."
Actor Matt Damon attends a news conference to promote the film
"Suburbicon" at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in
Toronto, Canada, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill -
RC18B4503410
Matt Damon was accused of trying to
quash a scathing piece about Weinstein but he claims he is innocent. In light of Weinstein’s allegations, Damon said he was surprised, telling
Deadline:
“I did five or six movies with Harvey. I never saw this. I think a lot
of actors have come out and said, everybody’s saying we all knew. That’s
not true. This type of predation happens behind closed doors, and out
of public view. If there was ever an event that I was at and Harvey was
doing this kind of thing and I didn’t see it, then I am so deeply sorry,
because I would have stopped it. And I will peel my eyes back now,
farther than I ever have, to look for this type of behavior. Because we
know that it happens. I feel horrible for these women and it’s wonderful
they have this incredible courage and are standing up now."
George Clooney echoed Damon’s sentiments of shock to
The Daily Beast.
“I’ve known Harvey for 20 years. … But I can tell you that I’ve never
seen any of this behavior — ever.” He added, “It’s indefensible. That’s
the only word you can start with. Harvey’s admitted to it, and it’s
indefensible.”
Leonardo DiCaprio said
on Facebook,
“There is no excuse for sexual harassment or sexual assault — no matter
who you are and no matter what profession. I applaud the strength and
courage of the women who came forward and made their voices heard."
Colin Firth revealed to
The Guardian
that Weinstein was intimidating, saying, “He was a powerful and
frightening man to stand up to. It must have been terrifying for these
women to step up and call him out. And horrifying to be subjected to
that kind of harassment. I applaud their courage.”
FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2016 photo, Benedict Cumberbatch poses
for a photo in Beverly Hills, Calif. Geneology detectives have
discovered that the British actor who portrays Sherlock Holmes in the
PBS television series, is distantly related to the author who created
the iconic character more than a century ago. (Photo by Chris
Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars in the upcoming
Weinstein production, “The Current War,” released a statement: “We need
to collectively stand up and support victims of abuse such as the brave
and inspiring women who have spoken out against him and say we hear you
and believe you. That way others may be emboldened by our support to
come forward and speak. But we shouldn’t wait until there are any more
stories like this. We, as an industry and as a society at large need to
play our part. There has to be zero tolerance of any such behavior in
any walk of life. We owe that to these women’s bravery in coming
forward."
Hollywood without Harvey
While Hollywood reels, many are trying to come to terms
with short- and long-term effects of this scandal on the entertainment
industry. Experts predict more accusations may come to light.
“The days of the Hollywood establishment bullying and
browbeating reporters into burying stories about serial bad behavior are
over. There are simply too many media outlets, too many ways to
disseminate information, and not enough gatekeepers,” said Scott
Pinsker, a branding and communications expert. “What was once whispered
behind closed doors will become headline news. … Nobody believes that
Harvey Weinstein is the only predator in Tinsel Town. More heads will
roll."
Kevin Blatt, a celebrity crisis manager based in Los
Angeles told Fox News, the Weinstein drama is just the beginning of what
will be more accusations against powerful men in Hollywood.
“The short-term effects are that many powerful studio
execs, casting agents and people in power in Hollywood will be forced to
govern themselves accordingly. The long-term effects? There will be
many industry women looking to expose those who wronged them in the
past. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Blatt predicted.
But not everyone is convinced the abuse of power will end.
“Absolutely nothing will change long-term in Hollywood.
It’s not a town of men versus women. It’s a town of the powerful versus
the desperate,” said Hollywood film producer Colin Goldman. “To believe
the Weinstein scandal changes everything is to believe it’s the
first-ever story of those in power abusing those who want something from
them very badly. It’s happening again, somewhere, right now, today in
the industry.”
