Question

a Powerful Pariah

For decades, the worst kept secret in Hollywood was that Harvey Weinstein, motion picture mogul, confidante of Presidents and politicians, and creator of instant stardom for obscure actors and actresses, was a serial sexual harasser. Earlier, as head of Miramax Films and then as co-founder with

his brother of The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein was perhaps the film industry’s most powerful executive, presiding over such classic films as Good Will Hunting, Pulp Fiction, The King’s Speech, and Shakespeare in Love; scores of TV hits, from Project Runway to Marco Polo; and helping build the careers of

such Hollywood stars as Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Quentin Tarantino. Through it all, over a span of three decades, Weinstein allegedly preyed on scores of women with whom he came in contact in a pattern of sexual harassment that was apparently well known across the film industry, but kept quiet by large cash settlements with victims. Weinstein’s inexcusable behavior may well have continued to

be covered up by confidential legal settlements had it not been for the power of publicity.

A Secret Life Exposed

The wall—and his world—came crumbling down for Harvey Wein-stein on October 5, 2017, with a front-page headline in The New York Times, “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accus-ers for Decades.” The scrupulously researched story, which ran for three pages

in the Times, quoted confidential memos and first-hand accounts from several women, including actress Ashley Judd, who chroni-cled a history of unwanted sexual advances, invitations for show-ers and massages in hotel rooms, a naked Weinstein incessantly pleading for sexual favors, and assorted acts of lewdness and depravity inappropriate to be mentioned in a family textbook. Most of the women involved were assistants, actresses, and aspiring hopefuls, all cognizant—and terrified—of the movie maker’s power to make or break their careers. And lots of people apparently knew all about Weinstein’s predilections and looked the other way. As Ms. Judd, who was cornered by a bathrobe-clad Weinstein in a Beverly Hills hotel room for what the young actress thought would be a breakfast meeting, put it, “Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it’s simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly.” The Times expose was quickly followed by an even longer and

more damaging article in the New Yorker magazine, written by NBC journalist Roman Farrow, who over 10 months interviewed 13 women who claimed Weinstein either sexually harassed or assaulted them between the 1990s and 2015. Ironically, Farrow, the son of actress Mia Farrow, took his Weinstein piece to the New Yorker after his own network wouldn’t run it. While critics suspected that NBC was reluctant to antagonize powerful Hollywood contacts, network executives claimed they passed on Farrow’s story because it lacked “all the elements we needed to air it.” No matter. The Farrow blockbuster article caused an immediate and unforgiving outpouring against Harvey Weinstein.

• Actress Angelina Jolie said, “I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did. This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.”

• Meryl Streep, who once referred to Weinstein as “God,” said, “The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported. The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes.”

• George Clooney, who was given his first break as a film actor by Weinstein, said, “It’s indefensible. That’s the only word you can start with.”

• Academy Award–winning actress Kate Winslet said, “The fact that these women are starting to speak out about the gross misconduct of one of our most important and well regarded film producers, is incredibly brave and has been deeply shocking to hear. The way Harvey Weinstein has treated these vulnerable, talented young women is NOT the way women should ever EVER deem to be acceptable or commonplace in ANY workplace.”

• And Weinstein friend Hillary Clinton, said in a statement, “I was shocked and appalled by the revelations c oming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior.”

For his own part, Harvey Weinstein, rather than admitting to the abusive behavior his accusers had charged, instead offered a rather muted response, “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go,” he told the Times, adding that he planned to enter rehab for sexual addiction. Adding insult to injury, he also characterized many of the accusations as “off base” and said he had parted on good terms with the women now making charges against him. His spokesperson, lawyer Lisa Bloom, added that Weinstein “denies many of the accusations as patently false.” (Figure 1-5)

Lowering the Boom on Weinstein’s Web of Enablers

What was particularly appalling about the Weinstein harassment allegations were the many people around him who knew what was going on but kept quiet about Weinstein’s lurid behavior. Indeed, the l st of Weinstein enablers included, not only agents and manag-ers who knowingly arranged meetings for their female clients with the notorious impresario, but also lawyers, journalists, and public relations people. Weinstein employed the Hollywood attorneys who, in return for

a victim’s silence signed into an ironclad legal agreement, would reportedly offer $80,000 to $150,000 in return as hush money. The money was supplied by The Weinstein Company, whose co-head was Harvey’s brother Bob. One famous lawyer whose reputation suffered from the Weinstein revelations was David Boies, the heretofore pristine jurist involved in some of the most impor-tant legal cases in recent history, representing the U.S. Justice Department against Microsoft, Vice President Al Gore against President George W. Bush, and New York Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner against Major League Baseball. In 1997, Steinbrenner sued 29 teams and Major League Baseball’s executive council. Boies represented him. When it was revealed that Boies, working behind the scenes for Weinstein, contacted investigators to “get dirt” on his client’s accusers and the journalists working on stories,

Boies was promptly fired by another client, The New York Times, and lost other business. The reputation of another Weinstein attorney, spokesperson Bloom, also took a pounding. The daughter of celebrity women’s right attorney Gloria Allred and herself an erstwhile defender against sexual harassment, Bloom was excoriated when she went to bat for the alleged serial sexual harasser, especially after it was revealed that Weinstein had agreed to make a movie of a book she had writ-ten. In the wake of the torrent of criticism she received from many women (including her mother!), Ms. Bloom quietly resigned from the Weinstein team. The Weinstein sexual harassment publicity also outed friendly journalists who had served as Weinstein enablers. New York Daily News columnist A. J. Benza allegedly received payments in exchange for stories that helped deflect attention away from alleged Weinstein misdeeds. Weinstein allies at American Media, publisher of the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer, were also enlisted to uncover dirt on Weinstein accusers. In terms of public relations, as soon as the negative sto-ries were published, both Ketchum Public Relations and PMK-BNC, two firms who represented The Weinstein Company in film publicity, quit immediately. But others, including Bloom and Lanny Davis, a lawyer who had previously defended President Bill Clinton against charges of sexual improprieties in the White House, signed on as Weinstein public relations counselors. Davis joined Bloom on the way out the door when the heat on their cli-ent intensified.

Finally, it was left to famed Hollywood crisis manager Michael

Sitrick (see From the Top, Chapter 17) and his Sitrick & Company to speak on behalf of Weinstein as his public relations spokesman. The affiliation lasted just a few months. In April 2018, Sitrick quietly resigned the Weinstein account, leaving the disgraced mogul to fend for himself. (Figure 1-6)

The Weinstein Aftermath: A Social Crusade Is Born By early 2018, Harvey Weinstein’s problems were mounting, as police in New York and Los Angeles reportedly investigated the possibility of charging Weinstein with crimes, including rape. Meanwhile, The Weinstein Company, which fired its co-founder as trouble mounted, had no choice but to sell the embattled company in a deal that reportedly cost its shareholders most of their equity investment.

The one positive development coming out of the Harvey

▲ FIGURE 1-6 Going away? Harvey Weinstein leaves Lower Manhattan police station in 2018, after being charged with felony rape and committing a criminal sex act. Photo: Kristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/Newscom

Weinstein saga was the immediate impact it had on women—and men—coming forward publicly to expose other sexual abusers. Actress Alyssa Milano started a “#MeToo” hashtag to denounce sexual abuse and harassment, and the crusade spread around the world. Within months, famous broadcasters, like Today Show host Matt Lauer and PBS interviewer Charley Rose; politicians, like Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Michigan Congressman John Conyers; and artists, like painter Chuck Close and opera conductor James Levine, and more than 100 other famous people were publicly accused as being sexual harassers. After decades of silence, millions of people were now speaking out against sexual abuse in the workplace and elsewhere. Milano told a TV interviewer, “We are going to be vocal until this stops. Not

one more. It stops here.” Thanks to the megaphone of publicity and public opinion, an international crusade was born.

Question: What would you have advised Lisa Bloom regarding continuing to work for Weinstein? David Boies? Sitrick & Company?

Answer 1

It is important to mention that although Weinstein denies the accusations brought against him, many actors and companies have cut ties with Weinstein. Lisa Bloom is Weinstein's lawyer and fighting cases for him won't do any good to Lisa Bloom. Considering the number that several women that have opened up against Weinstein's action has worsened the situation. David Boies used to work for Weinstein as a lawyer but have faced backlashes when Weinstein was confronted with sexual harassment cases.  

In my opinion, I would advise Lisa to resign silently and not to work for Weinstein considering the gravity of the situation.

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