Harvey Weinstein Was Just Fired From His Own Company Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
Harvey Weinstein, who co-founded The Harvey Weinstein Company, has been forced out by his board of directors in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal brought to light by the New York Times exposé published on Thursday. By Friday, Weinstein had taken a leave of absence, and on Saturday, his lawyer, Lisa Bloom, had called it quits with her client.
The Weinstein Company issued a statement on Sunday announcing the board’s decision:
“In light of new information about misconduct by Harvey Weinstein that has emerged in the past few days, the directors of The Weinstein Company — Robert Weinstein, Lance Maerov, Richard Koenigsberg and Tarak Ben Ammar — have determined, and have informed Harvey Weinstein, that his employment with The Weinstein Company is terminated, effective immediately.”
Weinstein’s alleged patterns of sexual harassment have been one of Hollywood’s open secrets, according to some in the industry, for years now, but the Times report was the first time that women had gone public with claims. Actress Ashley Judd, as well as former employees and associates, all gave testimonies for the Times investigation. The alleged harassment usually involved a business meeting in a hotel room, as well as requests to massage Weinstein or watch him shower. In all, a familiar theme in sexual harassment cases played out: a powerful man abusing his position to coerce a less-powerful woman into sexual situations, protected by a company-wide code of silence.
More stories trickled out after the investigation’s publication, including the harrowing account of a then-Long Island cable news anchor who was trapped in a kitchen as Weinstein allegedly masturbated in front of her. Glee and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy said in an interview at the New Yorker Festival over the weekend that the mention of Weinstein’s name always made women in Hollywood react with a shiver of disgust: “…whenever he would come up in conversation, there was always this ‘ick’ or ‘ugh'” type of reaction,” he said. And it wasn’t just one: it was “all of them.”
There’s no room in Hollywood—or any industry—for this sort of behavior. Here’s hoping that his dismissal makes the film industry a safer place for women.
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