The hints of Weinstein's behavior that went ignored
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Harvey Weinstein at the Directors Guild of America Theater. Photo: Chris Pizzello / AP
There have been a number of allusions to Harvey Weinstein's "open secret," as Lena Dunham called it. But celebrities and politicians alike have given statements on the issue saying they had no prior knowledge of any of his behavior toward women:
- Hillary Clinton said she was "shocked and appalled."
- Meryl Streep said "not everybody knew."
- George Clooney said "we're all going to have to be more diligent...and look for any warning signs."
Here are the hints of Weinstein's harassment and abuse that went ignored over the years:
1998
Gwyneth Paltrow, who came forward saying she was sexually harassed by Weinstein when she was 22, said on the Letterman Show that Weinstein "will coerce you to do a thing or two."
1999
Actress Asia Argento, who told the New Yorker she was raped by Harvey Weinstein, wrote and directed a scene in her film Scarlet Diva depicting her experience:
2010
Courtney Enlow, a contributor to Bustle and Vanity Fair, wrote a piece called "Harvey's Girls" for celebrity news site Pajiba, in which she said "rumors of Harvey's casting couch ways are legendary."
"Every few years, Harvey picks a new girl as his pet. He puts her in a picture or two, takes her to an event, and not unlike Cher Horowitz, makes her a project, an attempted creation."
2012
The TV show 30 Rock made a reference: Jane Krakowski's character, Jenna, said, "I'm not afraid of anyone in show business, I turned down intercourse with Harvey Weinstein on no less than three occasions."
2013
Seth McFarland said at the 2013 Oscars that the female nominees for Supporting Actress "no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein."
2015
- Gawker published an article titled "Tell Us What You Know About Harvey Weinstein's 'Open Secret.'"
- The New York Times published a story about Weinstein getting questioned by police after being accused of groping a young woman (she wasn't named in 2015, but the account matches Ambra Battilana Gutierrez's account in the new NYT story).
- After New York magazine writer Jennifer Senior tweeted out the 2015 NYT story, conservative John Podhoretz responded:
2017
Richard Shepard, director of the HBO series Girls, tweeted that the final shot of the episode "American Bitch," in which the main character confronts a sexual predator, was filmed outside Weinstein's apartment.
One more thing: NBC News has been accused of sitting on Ronan Farrow's Weinstein bombshell report that ultimately ran in the New Yorker. According to the Huffington Post, Farrow's reporting was reviewed under "a highly unusual level of scrutiny," including Steve Burke, CEO and president of NBCUniversal. President of the network, Noah Oppenheim, said on Wednesday the idea of them covering "for a powerful person is deeply offensive."
