The bricks continue to fall.
Following accusations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board had an emergency meeting to vote on revoking his membership. The meeting took place on Saturday, October 14 in Los Angeles and resulted in his immediate expulsion.
"We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues, but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over. What's at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all Academy members will be expected to exemplify."
On October 5, The New York Times released the story that the 65 year-old producer had paid off women after being accused of sexual assault for decades. In 1997, actress Rose McGowan received a $100,000 settlement after an incident with Weinstein in a hotel room during the Sundance Film Festival. Other actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale and more, have come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct and assault.
According to The New Yorker, sixteen women who worked and still work for The Weinstein Company have accused him of sexual assault or had knowledge of it. These women "described a pattern of professional meetings that were little more than thin pretexts for sexual advances on young actresses and models." The article also stated that there was "in essence, a culture of complicity at Weinstein's places of business" where numerous of people knew about his behavior and either approved of the wrongdoing or looked the other way.
Weinstein has been fired from The Weinstein Company, the company he started with his brother Bob Weinstein in 2005. According to Vanity Fair and Us Weekly, the producer was also suspended from the British Film Academy and denounced by the Cannes Film Festival.
The Guardian
The New Yorker
Us Weekly
Vanity Fair
No comments:
Post a Comment