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Harvey Weinstein Allegedly Masturbated in Front of a Female News Anchor, According to a New Report


PHOTO: Jacopo Raule/GC Images

When the New York Times broke a bombshell investigation on Thursday recounting decades of alleged sexual harassment by film producing mogul Harvey Weinstein, the blowback against him was immediate and strong. Democratic politicians he had contributed to ferried his donations to charities supporting women in power, women took to Twitter to share their own stories of sexual harassment (there were many), and Lena Dunham wrote a powerful response on Instagram. Now, one more woman is adding her voice to the group: A female TV reporter is alleging that Weinstein masturbated in front of her, and her account is horrifying.

According to HuffPo, which broke the story on Saturday, Weinstein was at Ciprani, an Italian restaurant in New York City, about a decade ago. There, he met a local cable news anchor, Lauren Sivan, who later rode with him, the restaurant’s owner, and others to a Cuban-themed club the restaurant owner was an investor in. Once there, Weinstein wanted to take her on a tour of the club’s restaurant. “Sivan said she reluctantly agreed and they went downstairs to the restaurant,” HuffPo reports. “Just before Sivan left, [a] friend told her that if she wasn’t back in 10 minutes, she would come to check on her.”

Once they got to the restaurant’s kitchen, Weinstein sent away a few employees who were cleaning up. He tried to kiss Sivan, who rejected him and told him she had a long-term boyfriend. His response, according to HuffPo, was “Well, can you just stand there and shut up.”

The only way for Sivan, who was blocked by kitchen equipment, to exit the situation was to push past him and get to the hallway. She says she “was trapped by Weinstein’s body and was intimidated.” Weinstein then allegedly undid his pants and started masturbating in front of her.

“Sivan said she was deeply shocked by Weinstein’s behavior and was frozen and didn’t know what to do or say,” reports HuffPo. “The incident in the vestibule didn’t last long. Sivan says Weinstein ejaculated quickly into a potted plant that was in the vestibule and then proceeded to zip up his pants, and they walked back into the kitchen.”

The aforementioned friend, who needed to remain anonymous for HuffPo‘s article due to employer restrictions on talking to the press, had been trying to get downstairs to Sivan since 10 minutes had been up. Initially blocked by a security guard, he eventually let her downstairs into the cafe. She met both as they were headed up from the cafe and says that Sivan told her what happened right after they left the club.

But it didn’t end there: Weinstein allegedly called Sivan the next day to say he’d had “a great time” and asked if she’d like to meet up with him once he was back from some travel. She took a hard pass, reminding him she had a boyfriend, and ended the call. In a passage that matches many women’s accounts of sexual harassment, “She remained quiet because she was in a long-term relationship and fearful of the power that Weinstein wielded in the media.”

When asked for comment, Weinstein’s publicist acknowledged receiving questions HuffPo had emailed over but offered no response; his lawyer, Lisa Bloom, also turned down requests for an interview. Weinstein has taken “indefinite leave” from his production company as of Friday, but we’ll keep you updated with more developments as they happen. Sivan’s account is the stuff of nightmares—and yet another reminder that men in positions of power have gotten away with abusing people for far too long.

Related Stories:
Lena Dunham Wrote a Powerful Response to Those Explosive Harvey Weinstein Allegations
An Explosive Report Alleges Decades of Sexual Harassment by Harvey Weinstein
After Harvey Weinstein Allegations, Women Share Stories of Sexual Harassment on Twitter



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