After a string of accusations by a number of women, now Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie have come forward to accuse bigshot Hollywood executive producer Harvey Weinstein of unwanted advances and sexual harassment.
Gwyneth, who was 22 years at the time, had just signed her film, Emma with Weinstein’s company when she was propositioned by the Hollywood executive to “head to the bedroom for massages”.
“I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,” she said in The New York Times article describing the sexual advances which she said she rejected.
Angelina Jolie, too spoke about having a “bad experience with Harvey Weinstein” in the 1990s when she was working on her film, Playing by Heart. The actress rejected his advances and vowed never to work with him again. “This behaviour towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable,” she told The New York Times.
A detailed investigation in The New York Times revealed how Harvey has been sexually harassing and abusing actresses and models with impunity for almost three decades.
Speaking about her experience, Gwyneth said that she did confide in her boyfriend at the time, Brad Pitt, who warned Harvey to “never to touch Ms Paltrow again”. Like many other actresses starting their careers, Gwyneth was afraid that Harvey would fire her.
The New Yorker also released a report with nine detailed accounts of cases of sexual assault and rape by various actors. One of them is of 22-year-old Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, who also conducted a sting operation on Weinstein for the New York Police Department in 2015.
In the chilling audio released by The New Yorker, Harvey, admitted to having groped Ambra and said he’s “used to this”.
Marriage Over
After all the allegations of rape, sexual abuse and harassment, his wife Georgina Chapman announced that she is leaving him.
My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. I have chosen to leave my husband. Caring for my young children is my first priority and I ask the media for privacy at this time.Georgina Chapman’s statement to People Magazine
Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama have also condemned the actions of Harvey Weinstein, who has been fired by The Weinstein Company.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)