Producer Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexually harassing numerous women over the past three decades, including Rose McGowan and Asheley Judd.  Harvey is a HUGE player in Hollywood.  He and his brother Bob started Miramax, and now run The Weinstein Company.

 

It’s pretty standard Hollywood stuff:  Sleep with me and I’ll make you a star.  A typical tactic he’s accused of using is that he would invite a woman up to his hotel room, supposedly for BUSINESS, then try to make her give him a massage and / or watch him take a shower.  (???) 

 

That’s what the “New York Times” says he did to Judd 20 years ago.

 

But she didn’t give in, even though she was worried it could hurt her career.  She says, “I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask.  It was all this bargaining, this coercive bargaining.”

 

At least eight women have received settlements because of Harvey’s behavior, including McGowan, who pocketed $100,000.  Her alleged incident happened in 1997, right after she did the movie “Scream” for his company.  She’s probably barred from talking about it because of that settlement, but she did post a pair of vague Tweets yesterday.

 

Harvey released a statement, saying that a lot of what the “Times” published ISN’T true.  But he also admitted to some bad behavior, and he said he’s working on it.  “I came of age in the ’60s and ’70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different, I have since learned it’s not an excuse, in the office or out of it.  To anyone.”

 

He apologized for any pain he’s caused, and said he’s putting together a “team”, including therapists, to help him.  And he’s taking a leave of absence from the Weinstein Company.  During that absence, he says he’s launching a campaign to take down the NRA and President Trump. 

 

(You can read the story here.  And grab Harvey’s full statement here.)