I guess I’m just going to write about Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein all friggin’ day. Columbus Day = Kaiser-Writes-About-Perverts Day. I’m leaning into it. So, in the wake of all of the Harvey Weinstein stuff, conservatives and “media critics” have been very “why won’t prominent Democrats speak out??!” Yes, where is President Hillary on this issue? Well, President Hillary still hasn’t said anything, but President Meryl Streep has now issued a statement. Streep’s publicist Leslee Dart offered Streep’s statement to HuffPo, and they published it in full. Just FYI: Weinstein has produced a number of Meryl’s films, like August: Osage County and The Iron Lady (a film for which Harvey ran a successful Best Actress campaign for Meryl). Here’s Meryl’s statement:
“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.
One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew. Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally. I didn’t know about these other offenses: I did not know about his financial settlements with actresses and colleagues; I did not know about his having meetings in his hotel room, his bathroom, or other inappropriate, coercive acts. And if everybody knew, I don’t believe that all the investigative reporters in the entertainment and the hard news media would have neglected for decades to write about it.
The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar. Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game.”
I mean… yes, okay. I don’t have a problem with this. I’m sure a lot of people will nitpick about Meryl’s claim that not everybody knew. I personally think everybody HEARD THE WHISPERS but very few people “knew.” Do you understand the distinction? Women talk amongst themselves. Women warn other women. Women whisper about “that guy.” You can hear those whispers and not know, especially if you don’t want to know. When you only want to see what you want to see. That’s Meryl’s “crime” – she saw what she wanted to see, heard what she wanted to hear. She was far from the only one. And I still don’t think we should be burning or canceling every single person who has ever worked with Weinstein.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Everybody knew.
This!
Not only ^THIS^, but to me, the fact that Madame Streep didn’t say a peep until this perv was FIRED, not just “stepping down for a while to reflect” (gag!), but actually FIRED from the company, speaks volumes about her, to me anyway.
Seriously? How many people have worked with the Weinsteins over the years? And you’re going to save your contempt for Meryl who has spoken out? What about the countless others who haven’t?
This. I’m really disappointed with Jay-Z here (didn’t care for the others already anyway). But yes everyone knew. That’s the very first thing I’ve ever heard about Weinstein myself.
I love Obama, but was shocked when I heard about Maila working at his company. Of course Obama knew or heard and of course he also knew that Malia would be unscathed given her status. That’s why I’m so disappointed in the decision. You don’t support predators in any way, shape or form. I would like to think he and Michelle now regret their decision.
Malia was 18 years old when she interned at Miramar. Since she was of the age of majority, she did not need her parents permission.
I’m going to say Obama didn’t know, because I can’t believe a man who so fiercely speaks about his love of his daughters would knowingly let her intern there. It’s his daughter she could have been a victim.
I know it is hard to believe but there are people who are not in the know in gossip circles, even in their own industry. Just saying, and hopefully with Meryl’s statement more will feel free to tell their story. It is only through discussing this does it get better. Also, keep in mind it’s only been 4 days. Some people may want to think about their response, whether a victim or not.
Did Obama know ? He had heard the rumors and HW had been a guest at WH…so there was security background run. He has access to the security in the world DUH. But of course no one is going to mess with MO like that, so BO wasn’t concerned for his daughter.
Yours or mine however…….not so much.
If you think a security check doesn’t turn this kind of thing up… perhaps he thought she was safe because of her unique protected status.
Obama didn’t know? I’m sorry how is that possible?
I was a random college student when I heard Weinstein’s systemic harrassment. You can’t possibly tell me, the Preisdent of the United States didn’t know? I’m sorry but I’m sure he has a team of assistants whose only job is literally run up background checks on people that they associate with. Don’t tell me that I as a college student manage to hear by accident about Weinstein but a team of expert investigators that work for the president didn’t? BS.
Well, I am sure President Obama didn’t know. I doubt he would have let his teenage daughter intern with him if everybody knew. In that same vein, I doubt Meryl Streep knew.
Yup i can only believe that the Obamad didn’t know.
The rest knew. I heard stories and I’m in no way related to Hollywood.
I can not cancel anyone. There are las against his actions. I can support the victims and give stink eye to the rest of them. I can watch a movie without paying on TV. Yes, i will have to wait, but its my little protest against what happened. There is not much we can do except that.
I’m sorry but Obama knew, perhaps way better than anyone of “them”. He probably also knew that Weinstein wouldn’t dare lay a finger on his daughter, obviously.
I was shocked when the Obamas ok’d their daughter working around a highly rumoured bad apple.
Meryl is no fool. I don’t believe she came forward with her Dino DeLaurentis story til he was dead.
No way. If I , a suburban mom out there in Middle Class America knew- they heard the whispers.
Nah Obama may have heard but Malia has secret service and no contact with the guy. Unfortunately a background check would pull no cases. However, if anyone is safe its the girl with hired guns shadowing her every move
Obama probably reads less gossip than we all do here but his people must have heard something. His kid cant just work anywhere. its planned.
By virtue of his job (more important things to do), people being on their best behavior around him and him not being a regular part of the Hollywood scene, I can believe he didn’t know.
I’m a little more skeptical of people who’ve been players in Hollywood for 20, 30, 40 years. But maybe…
I don’t think President Obama knew, simply because I don’t think he has ever had the time to follow Hollywood gossip. He’s most likely aware of the gossip in his own field (i.e politics), but I don’t see him sitting at a computer checking up on Ted Casablanca’s site to find out the latest Hollywood gossip while he’s trying to ponder what to do with health reform.
I feel you would have to actively follow the internets to know what was going on with Weinstein, and I really can’t picture people as driven as Obama wasting time on gossip sites. (But, yeah, I think Meryl knew, because she actually is in the Hollywood industry. People must talk at parties…..maybe Gwynnie shared some gossip with her).
I don’t believe he knew because there are people who didn’t know which shocked me too but there are people that no one tells a lot of sordid information to because the topic is embarrassing. Or it is said in a sanitized way that is less alarming.
I can believe that Obama didn’t know. I don’t think he follows Hollywood gossip. Many people in politics don’t. I remember years ago when the late Anna Nicole Smith had her case at the Supreme Court, none of the justices seemed to know who she was and the reason would be that they don’t follow Hollywood and tabloid gossip.
I’m sure Harvey was always very polite and respectful to Meryl. She saw the “good” side of him so she may have dismissed rumors about the “bad” side of him because they were inconsistent with her experience. Hollywood is rife with rumors and gossip so it’s easy to dismiss it.
I don’t know. I want to believe only the best about the Obamas, but one really would have had to be living under a rock for the past decade to never have heard a *thing* about it.
At the very least, I’m sure Malia and Michelle knew. And I find it hard to believe that Michelle wouldn’t tell Barack.
Obviously this is all speculation on all of our parts, but I was super disappointed when Malia did the internship and I still am. I realize she is legally an adult and doesn’t require her parents’ permission, but I would hope she has enough respect for them, and a close enough relationship with them, to honor their wishes if they told her they didn’t think it was a good idea to associate herself with the Weinstein name.
Even if Malia herself was obviously not going to be subjected to Harvey’s awful bullshit, she could have interned absolutely anyplace she wanted, so why choose his company?
The general assumption is that Obama didn’t know or couldn’t possibly know. Yet one of his former aides, Tom Vietor, tweeted that Harvey’s bad behaviour was known.
https://mobile.twitter.com/TVietor08/status/916146184892354560
Tommy Vietor @TVietor08
Harvey Weinstein has been a well-known scumbag for a long time via @rtraister
FYI: Tommy Vietor was a spokesperson for US National security council and for Obama from 2011 to 2013.
He also worked for him during his time in the Senate.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Vietor
Further, last month when that story came up about shenanigans regarding donations to Amfar, one of Obama’s aides, Anita Dunn, helped strategise the media fallout. She’s also still strategising on this current story. As far as we know she hasn’t resigned despite his firing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-charity.html
That doesn’t mean that they are implicated in his shenanigans, but it’s naive in the extreme to assume that they didn’t know.
@LAK. THANK YOU. Of course the Obamas knew that HW wasn’t a great guy, but they nor their daughter were at risk…..they just like many many many others were looking for the upside of affiliation with him…$$$ and access,
Those saying he didn’t know are naive as hell. Face facts folks……people knew or should have known but if it didn’t directly impact them or they felt isolated from it, then they kept their mouths shut so they could continue to benefit from association.
Another day: the other thing chaffing me is Meryl’s insistence that if this was such an open secret then media would have written about it sooner. O_0 seriously?!
It’s as if she doesn’t know or care to know how the world woks.
Mind you, she doesn’t acknowledge the job insecurity and gender pay gap of her fellow actresses so maybe *she*lives in utopia where nothing negative ever penetrates, pun unintended, and is swiftly removed if it threatens to do so.
@LAK. Absoloutely! She knew, it’s BS to pretend otherwise, It didn’t happen to her or Julia or Jane…… so really, why deal with the unpleasantness 🙄
You know this is the way Trump supporters think about him too, right? I’m sure he didn’t harass any women, I’m sure he’s just the target of the liberal media… There’s no way Obama didn’t know about Weintein’s reputation. I can believe he didn’t know about the actual harassment accusations and paid off agreements but only if he didn’t request a background check on him, which I doubt. The thing is, you know Weinstein won’t just harass anyone. His daughter was safe and it was a big career opportunity for her, so he wasn’t about to block that (as if Weinstein would dare touch his powerful friend’s daughter!). Not to mention, you think this only happens in TWC?
Yep. I’m a nobody from a backwoods state and I knew. How do people with success film career-related not know? It’s better to come out and say, “my hands were tied. I could do nothing but support these women in other ways and warn them of what might occur when working with him.”
Exactly! Basically, Meryl was untouchable on her own. She probably knew but was like, “don’t mess with me or people who work with me” and that was that. She protected her people and anyone else who got caught up in his crap, tough. She’s in it to win it. Sad. I wish more women wanted to support and protect each other. Meryl, you are cancelled.
Yeah, I’ve known since I was a college student on a beach in Florida. He was the subject of some of the very first blind items I ever read. There is NO WAY people like Meryl were more clueless than me. What she really means is: I didn’t believe it until now, or I didn’t care until now.
Meryl has disappointed me here. But let’s face it, while we may admire these people from afar, we really don’t know their character. I expected more from her. She didn’t know…LMAO.
Exactly. I’m a SAHM in a random suburb and I’ve heard the rumors for years. There is no way in hell Meryl freaking Streep was unaware.
I certainly won’t “cancel” her, but I am disappointed by her.
Yep. Lots of us gossip followers knew. Those of us with no connections to Hollywood or politics read about the rumors for years. For those of you saying that certain politicians and A-listers didn’t know, I have a bridge to sell you. They heard the whispers just as we read about them in comments sections on sites like Celebitchy and Dlisted. They just knew that they and their families would be immune to Weinstein’s abuse and harassment because they were too important to be f-ed with.
A text from a friend in LA in the business. She says, Many eyes rolling hard at Meryl comment. More to come.
@Liberty-yes, I can believe it. So which is worse, Meryl making this ridiculous statement or someone like Gwyneth Paltrow staying silent?
There’s always people in the know but that doesn’t mean everyone knew. I live in a midsize city and work for major well known public company; I knew because I follow celebrity gossip. Most of co-workers don’t even know who Harvey Weinstein is. So no, not everyone knew. Hollywood? Maybe. Everywhere else? Not likely
Same with The Obama’s they might have heard rumors but they aren’t Hollywood insiders, and neither seems like the type to really celebrity gossip – I can believe they didn’t know.
None of my friends knew either, but again they don’t follow Hollywood gossip. It’s not like this stuff was being published in People, USWeekly, etc and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the average person in America is not reading trade mags or blinds.
Exactly. When even people in Tennessee know about Harvey and his reputation, I find it very difficult to believe people within the industry didn’t know.
However, it all goes back to power. What could Meryl do about whispers? Until someone was brave enough to come forward and state publicly, “This man did this to me” on the record, there wasn’t much someone could do.
I think if she were confronted on a movie set with his misogyny as Emma Thompson was when her co-star let her know what Harvey said to her, I like to believe Meryl would have stood up for a young actress the same way.
But whispers at cocktail parties and film premieres with as much power as he had? I don’t think so. As Kaiser said, Meryl knew, but didn’t KNOW, she heard, but didn’t HEAR.
Meryl Streep (or anyONE) confronting Harvey would not have magically stopped his behavior. That’s why courts and boards of directors and newspapers exist.
Im not even from the states. People all over the world knew this. But not miss Streep…
Exactly. There are so many rumors about so many people it isn’t like Harvey is the main topic of conversation 24 hours a day. There were years when he seemed washed up, and his power was diminished. If people took the payoffs then a lot of the details weren’t leaked, just vague he is a schlubby skeeve rumors, but no names or stories were revealed.
This. Please you think plebians and lowly employees knew but not Meryl? I need to borrow the rose colored glasses.
Weinstein did not just assault unknowns. There are not just Z listers doing the casting couch for men like him (different from assault to be clear). And I find it laughable that she thinks the media wouldn’t sweep this under the rug for decades.
Seriously what’s in like in the fairytale land some people live in? Cause I got stories from friends that would make heads spin about people in this business.
Ryan Murphy knew. Google it. Plenty of men and women know. People’s selfs-interest always trumps their virtues.
In Hollywood, everyone is hired under a contract which includes layers of noncompete, NDA, and it protects the executives — the men.
I have two producing executives friend who were both fired while on maternity leave!
They have solid cases — it is illegal! But if they sue these women — their lawyers tell them point blank, “You will never work in Hollywood again.”
Hollywood is regressive and black-lists anyone who sues these powerful men.
Their politics are symbolic and in direct opposition to the way they conduct their day to day lives. Their hypocrisy is deplorable. That is why so few have spoken up.
There are Harvey’s everywhere in HW. Enabled by people who want to have the career of their dreams.
An Oscar award-winning producer fired the head of his film department when she was on maternity leave! His name I promise, 50 percent of the readers on this board will recognize.
Maybe so many of the powerful in Hollywood are perverts so that if you want to be an actress, you need to work with at least some of them?? I don’t know, but that is becoming in my mind more and more of a possibility.
@Nicole: Acknowledging that the casting couch and different types of abuse exist in Hollywood does NOT require- or justify- the way people are accusing any and every famous person with a vagina of being a secret prostitute or secret sex slave hiding her own or other people’s abuse for money, fame, oscars, or grammys. Harvey Weinsteins and others like him have clearly always existed. Attempts to degrade and destroy women and girls by marking them as manipulative whores- within the context of a society where women who are actual sex workers are already treated as subhuman- and punish women and girls for male behavior have also always existed. Both of these things are true at the same time in our patriarchal society and both problems play their own roles in rape culture.
Well I guess Barack and Michelle knew when they encouraged Malia to intern for his company.Since everybody knew.#sarcasm
I am curious if the “everybody knew” brigade has been boycotting his films since they found out.
I’m not even in the business but I knew. I heard the rumors. Did people give him the benefit of the doubt? I guess. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Proceed with caution. That’s my approach to things like this.
Even if we say for argument’s sake that Meryl had absolutely no idea about any of this (🙄), she has young daughters who are in the business as well and I find it hard to believe that they never heard any of this or discussed it with their mom.
I’ve always loved Meryl, but over the past couple of years she’s started to seem a bit obnoxious.
Yup. I live in BFE and have no connections to Hollywood, and I knew.
Nobody is getting a pass on this one.
I worked in independent film for a decade, from 1995 through 2006. I personally heard him verbally going after colleagues on more than one occasion but I have to tell you, I never heard about sexual misconduct until I started reading blind items in the latter half of the 2000s. I spoke to friends who are still working in independent film and they say the same thing, although one has said that her 2 colleagues that worked at TWC about a decade ago
just started whispering about it recently. He made all former employees sign iron clad NDAs and they all had to say in them how much they liked working for him. If anyone made a peep he would go after them. I think many people heard whispers but were too afraid to say anything and I really don’t see that the Obamas would know because they don’t talk to the little people working in film. I hold only Harvey responsible.
I find it incredible how people assume rumours in a context filled with gossip abt everybody is enough to simply cancel someone. It’s really easy to make that decision when it’s not our job or reputation on the line.
I do want to hear from Matt Damon and Russel Crowe and anyone else who apparently was part of the cover-up. But others? I don’t think it’s that simple.
Also, reading abt it online within the gossip/blind items world isn’t the same as KNOWING. A lot of shit is written, but that’s not proof. This isn’t a Polanski or even Woody Allen situation.
Such good points @dre. I heard about his temper far before anything else (look at the show Entourage’s HW character). But I only recently heard about the sexual part. People forget that nearly every person in Hollywood with access to HW signed ironclad NDA’s and couldn’t out him unless they were victims of a crime or had hard proof about a crime. Having a terrible temper isn’t criminal. If the victims weren’t coming forward, how could anyone else that had signed an NDA?
Miss S, exactly. He had incredible power and he also charmed many people so while yes, it was talked about in blind items and in comments section, from my experience and from that of people I know it was the temper and aggressive behavior that was well known and somehow the sexual stuff got left out of the discussion. The anger issues were visible to many people so that had something to do with it. I do wonder if Damon and Crowe thought the article was about the temper, because there was a lot written about it around that time and he actually went away for a little while and came back “a changed man”, better behaved, etc. Obviously that wasn’t a long term change, but I do wonder if people asked to call on his behalf were doing so not because they thought he was hiding sexual abuse, but rather the verbal abuse he was known for.
Dre
Thank you so much for clarifying
I can not believe how quick
We all are to victim blame
Harvey is a chronic abuser
The industry feeds on people’s insecurities
And blaming Meryl – who may have been a classic “perfect” friend and therefore literally- and I mean literally – never seen any kind of bad behavior
But beyond her
Also Harvey bred fear
And blaming anyone who had something to lose
Grrrrr
I’m so mad about this!!!
No answers
Just can we stick to blaming the sick disgusting abuser please
This is an important distinction, that few want to make.
Everyone knew Harvey was a bully and a tyrant. Hollywood has lots of those. Books and articles openly said that about him. I knew of it from reading Biskind’s book years ago. Many knew he was sexist or sleazy. Again, Hollywood has plenty of those guys. Not many knew he outright sexually abused people because Miramax went to great effort and spent a lot of money to hide that. As his power and influence waned recently, more info came out in the form of whispers and rumours but until a bunch of people went on the record and journalists saw written evidence of pay outs (possibly leaked by Harvey’s brother) it wasn’t actually confirmed.
That doesn’t mean some people didn’t turn a blind eye, or give him the benefit of the doubt when they shouldn’t have, or normalise his other bad but not illegal behaviour … various people did this to varying degrees. But it’s simply not true to say “everyone knew” everything. We should be crucifying those who knew all the details and knowingly protected him: the company board, the lawyers, the agents, the studio heads.
The only reason I give Streep the benefit of the doubt is because I’ve been in situations where I find out a bombshell that almost everyone knew about except for me, because I wasn’t in the “circle of whispers.” I wasn’t privy to certain gossip because I just wasn’t included or I was too into my own life to pay attention. I’m not saying that’s the case with Streep because as many have said if people outside of the movie industry knew how could she not have known, just saying it *is* possible. I however think she’s simply covering her a**.
I also read a journalist on twitter explaining how many big celebs are sheltered from a lot and how guys in power behave differently with them. His sources were clear about people knowing he wasn’t a nice guy, but not how bad he actually was. I know everybody is mad and wants to blame Hollywood for covering up, but gossip isn’t proof. I would say that it’s easier to avoid a director who actors have to work with directly than a big producer, especially because he is less exposed.
That’s certainly a possibility – there could be lots of whispers on a movie set, but no one whispered it to the big star(s). I could see that.
I’ve been in this position before – not knowing. A lot of that was due to my position at work and in the community. I think I strike people as someone to whom you don’t take whispers and gossip. Would you take a third person suspicion like this to the President. I wouldn’t.
Given Meryl Streep’s near iconic standing in the entertainment community, along with NDAs and her working relationship with him (could they be friends?, is he more likely to be on his best behavior?), I’m not sure many people would discuss this with her. I wouldn’t.
It’s not possible to know what someone knows. And being accused of knowing, being accused of (at the very least) looking the other way sucks. I hurts. It questions your character, in a way others cannot know. You’re talking about two rather fearless, “take action” people. Would they let this go, if they knew? I wouldn’t.
btw, About a year ago, I was diagnosed with rather serious health problems and had to give up working. (Celebitchy is my ‘water cooler’!) So no, I didn’t know about any of this.
I once worked for a very famous person who had no idea who Helen Reddy was.
I liked her shade of the journalists – of course, they knew. They just held out for when they were told to make it a story.
Which brings you to another point – how many of them, the journalists and reporters, know about what is happening NOW and won’t write about it?
Yup.
I attended NYU Film School where our professors discouraged us (the females) to apply for internships at TWC. I personally was told not too. My professor told me point blank, you will be a target. So —
Meryl either lives in a bubble or ignored the “shouts” not whispers because her self-interests where tied to Harvey’s. The Iron Lady is a TWC film.
Meryl like Harvey has a decade’s long history of using her status and power over others; she is a bully, too.
Meryl threw a fit of massive portions to have the shoddy Florence Henderson (an April 2016 release) re-released in the fall of 2016, so her performance could be considered for Best Actress.
Amy Adam’s team can’t stand the way Meryl’s political grandstanding at the GG knocked Amy out of Best Actress for Arrival which was nominated 14 times for Oscars. Amy was in almost every frame of the movie.
Why do you think Meryl is the one presenting Amy with American Cimematheque Award? Grovel time…
I could go on and on about the hypocrisy of Meryl. The stories I have heard, but I won’t bored everyone.
It is easy to speak out when you know that Harvey has been fired and it will take him years to make a come back, if ever.
The early responders I respect.
Meryl’s Doth Protest Too Much response is revealing.
My thoughts exactly…..easy to step up now after the dust is settling and the clean-up is about to start. Actors can be quite cruel too.
Meryl also gave Roman Polanski a standing O at the Oscars.
Look for consistency in behavior to root out the hypocrites.
Harvey Weinstein penned that YUGE letter defending Polankski.
Birds of a feather.
Harvey Weinstein also famously defended Woody because Woody is comic ‘genius.’
All of the above is on the internet. The internet lives forever…
Why do think Ronan Farrow has been coming for Harvey for over a year?
Ronan Farrow’s upcoming article (The New Yorker) has been a year in the making, I hope Farrow scorches them all and delivers the death knell to Harvey’s career.
The victim of Polanski never wanted him to go to trial. She is now a 53 year old grandmother. She said she was already sexually active at 13, and he did nothing she didn’t want him to do. She further said she and her mother suffered more from the press than anything. These are Samantha’s words and feelings, not mine. Asked what she would say to him if she saw him: “Hello. how’s your wife and family.” As normal human beings with morals and ethics, we are repulsed. Samantha isn’t or wasn’t. Anybody can call out what mental illness he caused her, but she went to him. If it was my daughter, I’d chase him down to the ends of the world, but her family spins in a different orbit. He won’t live much longer, he’s an old man, but Meryl Streep can like or dislike anyone she damn well pleases, and it isn’t my business, nor is Samantha’s.
@JaneSaid: I am not bored at all and would love to hear more of your stories!
Meryl is free to behave how she chooses. Her inconsistent behavior undermines her public political stances.
I have heard this illogical argument used to Samantha was a sexually active 13-year-old so when Polanski sodomized her it wasn’t “rape, rape” before.
A thirteen old girl or boy can not give sexual consent — It is against the law!
Period.
A thirteen year in the eyes of the court of law can’t: vote, drink, drive a car or give sexual consent; therefore, an adult sodomizing a child or minor is ILLEGAL in the USA — this not grey area on this issue no matter what the minor’s victim and/or survivors views were at the time or how these views evolved — this called rape. A 13-year-old girl who was raped doesn’t decide after going to the hospital and examined by doctors not to press charges.
Polanski is scum and the four other women have come forward in last weeks to say Polanski raped them.
Samantha was a child under the influence of drugs and you’re talking about giving consent. I just can’t.
Polanki’s victim was a child and unable to give consent, both due to age and being drugged. Nothing else matters there.
Once the state/prosecutors had evidence of his crime, it was their duty to prosecute, regardless of what the victim wanted.
please tell us more
What Polanski did was horrible. Disgusting. “Consent” was not possible; she was underage. But his victim’s life has been defined as being Polanski’s victim. She recently went to court to try and put a stop to that. In a truly Catch 22 ruling, the decision was that her wanting to have the case dropped was evidence of how badly she had been damaged. So she will continue to have her life defined by what happened at 13. Whether I understand them or not, her views should have been taken into account. As it stands, she will have to live for the rest of her life – or at least til Polanski dies – with the possibility of proceedings being reopened and her having to testify. The stress must be horrible. Not as horrible as the offence, but horrible.
The fact Polanski preyed on a child who had already been abused doesn’t exactly make him look better, and fyi it’s very common for pedophiles to actively search out kids who are already abuse/neglect victims.
JaneSaid, well said. I am looking forward to Ronan’s article, too.
@JaneSaid please tell me more….on meryl…. i kinda wrote her off after that suffrage movie double talk on her part about not being a feminist or not being an angry feminist something dumb like that
It’s possible that everyone heard rumors but in their experience Weinstein had always been professional and nice, so they didn’t dig too deep into it. You have to consider that hollywood is full of little stories like this and a lot of people focus on the work and ignore those. I have no issues with Meryl, she’s not someone that’s always trying to give her opinion on things unless the opportunity presents itself (like in the Golden Globes), I only have problems with those that are constantly vocal in social media against people it’s popular to be against, and stay quiet when it comes to someone on their side.
Those of us who aren’t in the business or don’t even know anyone in the business have heard these rumors.
But you know who actively enabled this? Matt Damon and Russell Crowe. How about we focus on the men who played an active part in this and not the women who had nothing to do with this.
200+ comments and I doubled back to ask: You knew? KNEW?
Not “I heard”, “I suspected”, “There are rumors”… You knew.
Predatory men are dangerous. Language can also be a dangerous thing – and you know what they say when you ass/u/me. I love that commenters here are bold, brash even; but silence from what a friend calls ‘mysoginists in skirts’ (women who see all of us as second class – and less capable than someone like, um, Trump) just might be the most dangerous. For too women, speaking up is still not really possible.
….
(I want to ask a question, sincerely, without causing offense – when did you all first know about Cosby?)
I knew about Weinstein. I had no idea about Cosby.
YES
Yup. Everyone knew.
I’m getting a bit sick of the “everyone knew” moral high ground. I think, frankly, plenty of people didn’t know the full details or the extent of his behaviour.
I follow the film industry and “everyone knows” a lot of prominent men are assholes. David O Russell, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Michael Bay, Scott Rudin, Bryan Singer etc.
Which ones are bullies? Which ones are actual rapists? Which ones are sexual harassers? Which ones are just sleazy? Which ones are breaking the law? Which ones are simply nasty human beings?
Sigh. I’m afraid you’re wasting your time msd. The cacophony is far too loud at this point. I understand the outrage and I share it but all my ire is directed at the perpetrator and the board that enabled his behavior by way of pay outs/settlements etc.,
My 2 cents: Everyone knew he had a vile temper and they knew about the casting couch rumors which without doubt is a gross abuse of power. And as I’ve said before most of those rumors and blinds on gossip sites here and otherwise centered around speculating who had been on his casting couch and benefited from it. I won’t soon forget all the comments about JLaw, Gretchen Mol and Paltrow, a lot of which were frankly disgusting. I do not believe everyone in Hollywood ‘knew’ he was a serial rapist and sexual harasser.
I wish she had stopped at the first paragraph.
Yes. I thought the same thing…
Yeah.
Me too. I suppose it was to head off questions of “did it ever happen to you” or “did you have any idea”, but it sounds defensive, like she’s trying to cover her own butt.
I wish Matt Damon and Russell Crow hadn’t played an active part in this. Where’s their statement so we can rip it to shreds? Where’s George Clooney? Where are all the male directors and writers whose projects went through the Weinstein machine, and all they had to do was ignore what was happening, even though they had nothing to lose, compared to women.
I don’t know. The whole thing leaves a very bad impression in my mind. Not of the younger women, but at some point, a legend, at this age, you didn’t know really? I don’t know. The bottom line is women cannot be held responsible for men being predators. So I will keep my wrath focused on the men and male enablers, but I can’t deny, deep down, Meryl? Yeah, don’t believe her. doesn’t leave me with a great feeling.
She wanted another Oscar as the other actors wanted to work with Allen or/Polanski despite their pasts.
Right on!
So there’s no evidence that she’s lying but sure, let’s speculate about her lying. People were dissatisfied she had no response yesterday and they’re dissatisfied with her response today. If she said she knew but didn’t say anything because of x,y,x, they’d be dissatisfied with that. There’s literally nothing Meryl could do or not do that wouldn’t bring criticism.
And she had nothing to do with this. F–king nothing.
Meanwhile Matt Damon and Russell Crowe played the role of active enablers, so how about let’s focus on them and not women that HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
I think the younger ones knew, too — if not the rumors of actual casting couch, then at least the “you party and flirt with him and get roles” which is still bad (although admittedly not AS bad). Right after the Harry Potter franchise ended, where did we see Emma Watson? Partying with Harvey. And right after Taylor Swift was photographed partying with Harvey, she somehow got a last-minute role in “The Giver,” which Harvey was producing. So yeah, the younger ones knew too — at least, they knew SOMETHING of how he trades flirts for roles. And certainly the older ones did too, they just ignored it. Hollywood really is an abusive, disgusting place for women. (As a side, note, I always thought Georgina Chapman should win an Oscar for pretending to love that disgusting man — but, it paid off in her, I guess).
Sigh. I just can’t.
Yeah, me either. I almost wish she hadn’t said anything at all. It’s like someone saying, “Can I be honest with you?” You mean you aren’t already honest? Its sounds very PR, fill-in-the-blanky and shallow. Personally, I wish she’d just retire and go away. Her, “Aw shucks, I’m just here to act” shtick is old, worn, exhausting and spent.
Because he targeted those he thought were weak. Uggh!
This is my thinking as well. & someone pointed out on a thread yesterday, as far as we know so far, he didn’t mess with anyone that would be classified as “Hollywood Royalty” just women who had something to lose if they didn’t comply. Women who wouldn’t necessarily be believed if they did come forward, or women he could afford to pay off.
But thats not the point. Of course someone like him would target people who are powerless. That does not mean he never tried with anyone with more powerful and it certainly doesnt mean no one ever heard of it. His reputation is known, worldwide.
People even openly spoke about his verbal and often physical abuse.
Okay but these people didn’t emerge in hollywood powerful. THey were low on the totem pole once. And those are the ones that were forced. The casting couch is not some made up idea…its an actual thing in hollywood. So between all those people you’re telling me he never slept with someone powerful or tried to force someone that is now on the A list?!
@Nicole: exactly.
It was so long ago that I don’t remember specific details, but I do remember around the time Gwyneth won her Oscar, it was strongly suggested that she had slept with Harvey.
I am *not* slut-shaming or victim blaming or anything like that, but it was definitely a story circulating back then.
Whether or not it’s true, who knows. It will be interesting to see if Gwyneth speaks out about this at all.
How much of this public statement is Meryl’s own (PR) instinct or knowing HW can’t affect her career AFTER CAA refused to vouch for Harvey?
A lot. There was an article that called her out saying she had one standard for Donald trump and another for Harvey since he furthered her career. She had to say she didn’t know to save face. But she knew.
And we don’t know what Bob W asked her to say, either.
Both I would wager. There has been some shift, and now it is safe to make statements. I don’t think she knew how slimy he is but like I said he is far from the only one, so I am not sure how much Meryl knew and if she ever said anything to anyone.
I don’t hold her responsible for him.
I don’t hold her responsible for him, but i do side-eye the fact that she waited until it was advantageous to her to make this statement.
Seriously, waited until CAA declined to vouch for him AND he was fired. It’s a day late and a dollar short for this faux feminist advocate. I mean the DM, the most read newsite in the world called her out in print for 3 days and she remained schtum, but a minute after his fate is certain is when she publishes…..as my American friends say, B please!!
Ditto all those who waited for this result before publicly disavowing him.
Ironic that Meryl, who did not FULLY back Judd, is the first and ONLY A level star to make a comment. Only Mark Ruffalo said anything and thankfully he did it with class and sympathy.
WHERE IS EVERYONE ELSE IN HOLLYWOOD????
What about YOU Gwenyth? Anything, anything to say at all?
@LAK: ITA. This really leaves a bad taste in my mouth and rather than be so hypocritical, she should have just said nothing at all.
LAK, agreed.
Reminds me of Anthony wiener in that their physical appearance is so grotesque that they should be the nicest kindest best mannered men to make up for their appearance! Regardless power and $. Do they own mirrors?
Don’t you think that has something to do with it? The previously powerless schlub becoming ‘King of Hollywood’ with it’s thousands of gorgeous wanna-be starlets…
@Barrett: Me too. And the same should hold for the Dotard as well, but clearly not.
They both amassed enough money and power to attract beautiful wives, yet they both also continued with this disgusting behavior.
This seemed less like a “bad Harvey” statement, and more of a “please don’t cancel me” one to me.
I do like that she used the language of believing the victims, though. Meryl Streep saying she believes it will validate it for many, and hopefully get other voices raised. As problematic as that idea might be.
I mean, plenty canceled Cam Newton for a sexist statement that he apologized for, but not for the enablers that turned a blind eye to 30 year information even I, a random American, knew about for at least 15 years. I’ve had conversations with gossip following friends about this man for years. My point is, all of this virtue signaling that has been going on is damaging and bound to come off as hypocritical when you burn one person at the stake while forgiving damaging offenses of others.
I agree with Allie B. Ashley Judd told this story a few years ago and didn’t name the executive, but EVERYONE knew who it was, and I’m no Hollywood insider. The book Down and Dirty Pictures was published years ago and chronicles the Weinsteins in their full glory. The Gretchen Mol story has been present for a decade. Blake Lively = years! They all KNEW and they KNEW KNEW! The truth is that HW isn’t the only one like this, he is just the most bombastic across the board — a true psychopath who throws young male reporters downstairs, publicly throws Nathan Lane up against a wall, eats omelets with his nasty and greedy hands, and rages on a daily basis at any and everyone around him. People not in power were quiet because they knew how powerful he was. Those like Streep — and I love them, but yes, the Obamas who are the farthest from stupid or naive as you can get — knew who Weinstein really was and how he behaved but it wasn’t going to affect them or theirs because of their own power. He was the mightiest power player in the industry, and no one was willing to give up that access.
Debating whether it’s virtue signaling or not is less important than identifying sexual predators and the men who enable them. Let’s stop focusing on women in a high pressure, high stakes, impossible situation, and more on the men who have nothing to lose and actively seek to benefit.
Yeah, because Meryl Streep, a prominent A list actress just associated so much with this man with no one telling her about his attacks/attitude towards women/casting couches. Whispers or not, she was not ignorant. It’s just IMPOSSIBLE not to be.
People are told about this man during award season in Europe.
I have no problem “cancelling” anyone that associated with him to this extent, because it IS known, several of his victims are known by theie names. Actresses have DIRECTLY came out and said what he has done for years.
Some actors that have associated got what they wanted, roles, awards.. they don’t care about his rep.
And nothing like her blaming the media. How predictable.
Exactly. Streep gave a standing O to Polanski and called Harvey a “God” just a year or so ago during her awards speech.
Particularly like her blaming the entertainment and news media, as if no publication has ever spiked a story to stay in the good graces of Hollywood or to avoid Harvey’s lawyers.
And to nitpick: this HAS been reported on for years on Hollywood gossip sites, via anonymous sources (for obvious reasons). While one could dismiss one or two reports as potentially faulty or malicious, the constant drip-drip-drip of stories about this guy have been there for years.
So you’re going to cancel every director whose movie was produced by Miramax, every writer whose script went through Miramax, every actor and actress that was ever in a Miramax movie? Your gonna cancel Tarantino, Uma Thurman, Scorcese, Daniel Day Lewis, Neal Jordan, Forest Whitaker, and Cate Blanchette, all of whom haven’t even bothered to virtue signal yet? You gonna do a post-mortem cancellation of Robin Williams? Meryl Streep didn’t assault anyone or actively enable him. She’s just not opining to your liking. How about we focus on the people who actively enabled his actions, like Matt Damon and Russell Crowe. Let’s gain some perspective.
She knew. She is doing damage control. There were a few articles calling her out as she praised him at award shows. She knew.
EVERYONE knew. Everyone.
She is acting willfully ignorant, which is only turning me off her even more.
Hollywood is an industry just like any other, do you know at all times everything that is going on with your industry. Do you know which managers are sleeping with their subordinates, which ones like hookers and blow, and which ones are sexual predators. I don’t. College football is a very fairly insular business everyone might know someone who knows someone but erbody didn’t know about Jerry Sandusky. I think it’s time to stop with the everybody knew narrative and focus the vitriol where it really belongs, primarily the person who did this. Of course he had his enablers and there are I’m sure a lot of people who did legit know but not everyone.
And let’s not do the whole well if I knew….there are over 300 million people on the US alone, not everybody knew.
Yet, she didn’t assault anyone or actively enable his career. And there are many others who worked with him who haven’t spoken out yet. This says a lot more about the pressures of working in a toxic industry and the mountain of Harveys that are there than it does about Meryl Streep.
I tend to believe her. Harvey wasn’t victimizing women who were already powerful. I can imagine someone like Merly being in a bubble away from this information.
She must really live in a bubble for not knowing the rumors of Weinstein’s casting couch habit or aggressive behavior .
Didn’t she give a standing ovation to Polanski?
@STRIPE: I believe her too. We have all become so jaded, it’s hard to believe anyone. She has always spoken her mind and I don’t believe she would tolerate his behavior. If you ever watched her in the movie Silkwood, which I thought was amazing, she sang Amazing Grace…….I once was blind but now I see……
she supported polanski. so its really not out of the realm for meryl
Silkwood?
That was a movie! She was acting! lol
IsThisReal: I didn’t know Silkwood was a movie, really? I was speaking of the irony of the words, not to mention she has a beautiful voice.
Allie B — yes, she did.
Yeah, I tend to believe her as well. It’s my understanding that she lives in Connecticut and doesn’t really hang around with industry types in Los Angeles. I’ve gotten the impression that she’s one of the ones who does their job then goes home to a relatively normal life outside the Hollywood scene.
Yes that’s my impression too. I think people like him and Cosby get away with this for so long because they are masters at compartmentalizing their abuse. He wasn’t messing around with Merly or anyone around her. Additionally, they shield themselves from suspicion with passionate work on social issues etc. Add to that her living away from the “scene”….? I just buy it. But as other have pointed out, she supports Polanski, so I see why people don’t believe her.
Emma Thompson lives in the UK and she knew about it so Merrill not living in LA is not an excuse you can use for her not knowing.
She also the same person that said she doesn’t see ageism in Hollywood while all the other actress in her age group have all spoken up about it. She knew about polanski and still supported him.
I believe her for one simple reason. My boss doesn’t know half the sh*t that goes on in this company unless I tell him. To his credit, when it comes to people being exploited or treated badly, he wants to know because he will put a stop to it (he has done so in the past). He told me in the beginning “This business is tough but I expect common decency and respect towards every single employee, especially the assistants.” and he followed through. But if you’re at the very top, you may very well not know certain things because the people in the middle and down don’t have access to you and sh*t gets blocked before it gets to you. It does happen.
However. AS IF her management/agents/PR people didn’t know. THOSE are the ones who know everything. Which means they kept it from her because it didn’t affect her, most likely. And why would they tell her? It’s not like she could’ve intervened.
The difference between your boss not knowing and Meryl claims. Is that
Harvey Weinstein behavior has been all over the media for years. What going on at your job hasn’t been broadcast in the media for years.
I’ll say it another way. People may not know what’s going on in your home, but you have to be living under a rock to not know what’s happening with the state of the White house. You’re simply comparing apples and oranges.
@Sky: I agree.
She was willfully ignorant *at best*. And even then, ignorance is no excuse.
She’s expecting all of us to believe that she didn’t familiarize herself with people who she was going to work with/for? Especially when she’s in the most public profession there is? That just makes her look like an idiot, in my eyes.
Sky, now you’re the one with the faulty analogy. Where in the media has this been known? Gossip blogs and where else? She is THE top female actress in Hollywood. These people live in bubbles of privilege unless they actively try to pay attention. She’s never struck me as particularly aware, go back and read some of her more recent interviews. I think you’re severely undetestimating just how ignorant people at the top can be.
I will at least give her credit (very little) for issuing a statement. Granted, I’m not going to give her much credit, but where are the others speaking out? I’ve lost so much respect for the people staying silent (and I’m not talking about the victims).
I think it’s quite possible Weinstein did not treat her poorly because she was already “Meryl Streep” by the time he became powerful in the business. And she may have heard rumours about him, but there are likely rumours about other men too. It’s not like he’s the first to use the casting couch in Hollywood.
I just don’t like this trend of dragging the women who may or may not have known about rumours whereas there are a ton of men who worked with him too. They all need to be dragged as well.
Thank you!
It’s not just dragging women. More men have been publicly lambasted for being silent as well. Streep has just been so justifiably outspoken and eloquent and passionate against Trump’s perversion that it makes her a huge hypocrite. She isn’t the only one. Matt Damon is worse, but Streep called Harvey a “God.” People in Hollywood AND the media knew exactly what HW was doing with young actresses and assistants in his office. NYU has been telling film and journalism students for over a decade that he was dangerous to be around. Everyone should read Rebecca Traister’s piece in “The Cut” about just how much power he wielded and how many journos he paid off.
I completely agree, Nic19.
And about this “everyone knew” – I’ve read stuff about HW here and there – well stuff with him being guessed in blind items – for years, but I couldn’t truthfully say “even I KNEW”. Unless you’ve been there or know someone who experienced it first hand, how can you say you KNEW? I mean think of the stupid rumors that have gone around about celebrities for years that are in all likelihood false. People do bad mouth each other and spread lies.
Also regarding outing people in your industry – not many people are Ashley Judd and have the nerve to out someone for their sleazy behavior. It’s all well and good to say you’d speak out and risk your own livelihood on behalf of other people, but when it comes down to it, most simply aren’t going to do it. No matter what industry you’re in.
An actress with her career, fame and success working with the man didn’t know but me, a 20years old french economy student know…. Yeah right
Emma Thompson, an actress who doesn’t live in the US, knew and went after him, it means everyone knew.
I dont think you can compare that. Thompson was on the same set and it was verbal abuse. That doesnt mean everyone else knew about his sexual assaults.
And I say this as someone who thinks everyone should have known and most people in Hollywood knew. Just that this incident with Thompson isnt really proof everyone knew.
All I know is, Emma Thompson is a goddess:
“…During a break in the filming, the brash Hollywood powerbroker behind such blockbusters as “The English Patient” and “The Crying Game” walked over to Hayley Atwell, a then-24-year-old British-American actress who was playing Julia Flyte in the movie. Weinstein started flirting with the actress, who was clearly nervous, starring in one of her first major roles.
At lunch, Weinstein sat with the cast and crew, and told Atwell to watch what she was eating, explaining that he had just come from watching that morning’s filming and he didn’t like what he saw, a film-industry source told The Post
“You look like a fat pig on screen,” said Weinstein, who had just come from watching the dailies. “Stop eating so much.”
When Atwell told her Oscar-winning co-star Emma Thompson that the Miramax head ordered her to go on a diet, Thompson flipped. She took Weinstein aside and threatened to quit if he forced Atwell or any other woman on set to go on a diet.
“Emma called Harvey out for being a misogynist and a bully and really gave him a hard time,” the source said. Weinstein backed down.”
https://pagesix.com/2017/10/08/harvey-weinstein-called-captain-americas-hayley-atwell-a-fat-pig/
People like him normally back down when confronted by someone with balls.
But hasn’t Emma Thompson worked with Woody Allen? And I believe she signed the Roman Polanski petition, even though she eventually removed it.
The problem is there are very few people in Hollywood who aren’t tainted by these things. Yet Meryl is still catching more heat here than Damon, who actively worked to kill a story outing Weinstein.
Exactly! Emma is <3!
Always stands up for the truth. As someone said below, Streep, Damon, etc. were enablers by lauding him so publicly.
Reading this story gives me even more respect for Emma. 👏🏻
Also, the irony of this guy telling someone they are a “fat pig.” JFC, he has not a shred of shame or self-awareness. Go back to eating your omelettes with your hands, Harvey.
Yeah, she knew. She enabled him by publicly kissing up to him. She (and others) shielded him with their obsequiousness.
If the general public, i.e. people like us who are not involved in the entertainment industry, knew Harvey Weinstein was a predator-because it’s been a common blind item for years and years-then Meryl knew. All these actors and actresses just care about the career. They all know about Polanski, Woody Allen, Weinstein, Cosby etc. and they just do not care until they have to distance themselves for the sake of their image. Weinstein will either retire in anonymous luxury or ride out the storm because these celebs don’t care if he wags his naked behind at an intern or starlet as long as he’s getting them a payday and an Oscar nom. Everyone is complicit until they come out and say, “I won’t work with such and such because they are a predator.” Our greatest actors and actresses of the day support a culture of rape.
While I don’t disagree with your greater point of how these predators have been protected in Hollywood, I think that the Cosby case is a little different. Woody Allen was already an accused child molester who married his partner’s daughter. Polanski was an admitted child rapist. Cosby was almost untouchable. He was known for his clean humor and his wholesome family. The Cosby show single-handedly changed many people’s views about black families. The Huxtables were a well-educated, affluent, intact family, who just happened to be African-American. All the members of that cast and crew knew they were part of that legacy and were proud of it. Who in their right mind was going to make an accusation against Cliff Huxtable?
I think it became easier when Cosby became tainted by his “pull your pants up” BS, and Hannibal Buress was publically calling him out. And I really need to point out a glaring double standard that’s more than likely racism – There are still people in Hollywood defending Woody Allen and Polanski, and happily signing on to work with them. Yet Cosby is now dead to Hollywood (as they all should be).
MayaMae, you are absolutely right. Why are Woody Allen and Polanski still active and being heralded as some sort of geniuses? Hollywood is full of morally bankrupt, sexist, racist individuals.
Except Cosby’s allegations WERE actually public knowledge. They were on his wiki page for everyone to see even before Hannibal Burress joked about it in his stand up.
I can honestly say I had never heard the rumors. I enjoy the black female journalist who said – women have been saying it for decades, but it was only believed when a man (Burress) said it.
While I dont think she was personally affected she must have heard something. People openly talked about his verbal abuse, how he intimidated people, physically abused people etc. It was often portrayed as “he is just so passionate about films” and everyone knew that he did everything in his power to get his films nominated for Oscars. Smear campaigns to make someone look antisemtic among other things. (which is also why this story is now talked about, he made too many enemies)
Dont tell me that you never heard any stories about sex crimes committed by the number 1 Bully in Hollywood.
This.
Back in the day, i had a BF who was visiting the Finnish film festival for the first time and asked me to accompany him. Anyhue, we were both agog that this random (to me) film maker, Richard Stanley, during his talk, told a story during the festival *in Finland* in 2004 about Harvey . That was my first introduction to his sleazy behaviour. Link below, but this is the pertinent part:
“Richard Stanley: I fought to have her (Stacy) in another movie, she was in a position where she was forced to do things that are even worse than in the 1st film.
BDD: She was supposed to be in Dust Devil…?
RS: Miramax wouldn’t let her cause she wouldn’t mess around with Harvey [Weinstein]. Harvey tried to get into her hotel room and she phoned with my hotel and asked ‘What should I do, I didn’t let him in’, and they asked her to do a Playboy spread and she refused that too, and they never let her work again, which is very annoying. She’s only now started showing in some small parts…
http://www.everythingisundercontrol.org/nagtloper/iviews/cine1.php
What a self-serving, weak, cover her own arse statement. I’m not cutting her any slack. That video from a few years back of her leaping to her feet and applauding Roman Polanski getting some award – was she unaware he was a child rapist? NO. She knows who the predators were/are. She always has.
People here are being much too quick to assume Meryl knew. She’s not on sites like this, or Gawker. In fact, like all A-listers, she probably never goes never the Internet because of all the casual abuse hurled their way every day. Yes, she probably heard rumours he was abusive to staff, maybe that he was much too touchy-feely: but that’s not necessarily the same as hearing explicit allegations of serious sexual harassment. And, in the film industry, if you decided not to work with aggressive, occasionally unpleasant producer types, you’d never get anywhere.
Hollywood is a very gossipy place. She herd what we going on. People just don’t want their favorites dragged into this, but they will be. This statement is damage control.
“Hollywood is a very gossipy place.” But could that not be a part of what’s going on? The truth is that regular people already do have a hard time thinking someone who’s respectful or friendly with THEM (and associated with other seemingly decent, respectable people) is capable of abuse. With celebrities, I think there’s also this added layer of knowing that they, the people they work with, and the people they’re friendly with are all public figures up against rumors. It’s disappointing, but it’s probably true.
Some of the ones who haven’t been in Hollywood for 30 years (some of them haven’t even been alive that long) honestly might not have known or “known” either.
How do you know which websites she visits? Not only does she have PR people who are ensconced with anything revolving in and around the industry, she WORKS with the accused. She knew. It’s laughable anyone’s defending her. If she’s in a bubble, as some have mentioned, then she’s in the Hollywood bubble WITH the guilty parties. They live and feed off public perceptions and gossip…these websites are part of their personas. Bad behavior has been swept under rugs for decades and decades. If we’re getting closer to full disclosure, discipline and eradication…great. But don’t act like you never knew, or now know or be shocked that this shit goes down in Hollywood, corporate America, or in your insurance salesman’s office down the street.
This is what Meryl is trying to do -She has created plausible deniability so the people who like her and want to watch her movies don’t have to feel guilty.
Meryl knew.
@Natalie: You nailed it. And I think she probably succeeded in creating that plausible deniability with a lot of people.
I don’t know why we’re surprised, when you look at the list of actors who’ve worked with Woody Allen over the past decade. People with established careers who didn’t “need” to chose to work with him anyway. They just don’t care.
Too little, too late.
But she certainly knew about child rapist Roman Polanski because he was convicted and he admitted his own crime, yet she was so over the top enthousiastic in giving him a standing ovation that she looked like a devout Catholic who just saw the Pope.
So even when she knew she acted like an amoral jerk. I have strong suspicions that this time is the same.
I’m so sorry you have to write about this pig all day Kaiser…. But at least he’s exposed now, and you are helping spread the word!
“And if everybody knew, I don’t believe that all the investigative reporters in the entertainment and the hard news media would have neglected for decades to write about it.”
Oh Meryl, you cannot be this innocent as to the ways of the world?
If you have power and stature like Meryl Streep, then perverts won’t mess with you. But when you put your head in the sand and say “We didn’t _REALLY_ know,” you’re no better than the rest of HW’s colleagues. So it’s a bit hollow to try to now claim your place in the sisterhood and praise the women coming forward.
Here’s what most men can’t seem to wrap their heads around. HW is just the extreme version of a calculation that women have to make on a regular basis. How much will it cost me to not put up with this pervert/unwanted attention/disturbing behavior and am I willing to pay that price right now?
Oh God Dr Snark I’ve had that thought at pretty much every job I’ve ever had. I think all women have at some point thought this way.
“not everyone knew” HAHAHAHA! Oh Meryl….
How could she not have known when there were 8 lawsuits against him, two of them at least by a prominent actress? I understand her statement and understand where she comes from but It’s a little too much to proclaim ignorance. I’m on the other side of the pond and I have known of the rumours for years.
This is not about accusing women. The same is true for men. (But also, in fairness, we expect other women to at least understand more and better no?) This is about a network of people ignoring and refusing to talk to people they know about the rumours. A network of people who choose not to care it seems.
There is an episode in Master of None about this. Because one character talks to a victim who had decided to change jobs and avoid trouble, said victim decides to write in her blog about the predator (a powerful man like HW). I thought it was a really interesting way to put things. Because the character (Aziz’s) decides to pay attention and listen, the woman goes from being a silent victim to an active woman refusing to let go.
At this point I am watching The Next Generation, Voyager and anime. and IT Crowd.
And Lucifer. That show is hilarious! Great female lead.
Question does she have a movie coming out?
The Post. She’s on the short list for an Oscar.
Streep certainly called out the late Walt Disney, though. (That’s meant to be snark.) I believe it was at a lunch that also featured Emma Thompson, who was hoping for an oscar nomination for her role in Saving Mr. Banks. In retrospect, I would like to know what Thompson was thinking then.
The Streep statement just isn’t good. I agree with those who say she should have stopped at the first paragraph.
It is widely known that her saying so hurt Emma Thompson’s chance at a nomination. Emma was viewed as her biggest competitor at the time. Meryl even said she called her to apologize if she hurt Emma’s chances. She knew what she was doing. I haven’t liked her since. Emma is the best.
Meryl also knew if she made her GG Lifetime Achievement Award speech about Trump she would steal the show, make headlines, and be in minds of Academy Voters as they voted the next week. Meryl knew getting an Oscar nomination for Florence Henderson was a long shot because the movie itself was horrible. Meryl knows how to covertly swing circumstance in her favor rather play dirty like Harvey and has been doing it for decades.
I don’t believe for one second that Meryl didn’t know anything. In all her years she never heard from one woman who had been so much as propositioned? Now we know that she’s a liar. Should have just stayed silent.
See I’m of two minds of this. One I think of course she knew everyone did- but then I think maybe not because not everyone reads the gossip pages and people are good at showing you what they want to show you. So hear me out- with some of these high power people maybe the rumors didn’t get to them. It’s not like they read gossip blogs. And if these women are to scared to go to HR maybe he scared enough people to make sure that certain people didn’t get the rumors to them.
That there were always whispers that never quite reached them that they didn’t know what it was about.
Then the other part of me is like yeah but people in freaking Kentucky knew, so how could you in Hollywood not.
I can see both angles I think most people know but I can there being a consecrate effort to ensure some didn’t.
All that being said I think her statement could have been stronger if she left the knowing part out, and it came out on Saturday.
Why do people on here assume people in HW don’t read gossip blogs? Of course they do! Do you think they read Scientific American and the Economist?
even if they don’t their publicists do. that’s part of their job. to know what’s being put out there. heck publicists have been known to submit blinds themselves
The problem is that blind gossip is not the most reputable source.
You’re assuming that they do, they might they might not. Also on a blind item for some it could describe a bunch of people maybe.
As I CLEARLY stated I can see both POVs. I’m not willing to just randomly burn an entire industry at the stake and assume they new something based on the fact it’s in gossip sites they may or may not read.
These actions and crimes aren’t exclusive to politics and Hollywood they happen at grocery stores, dentist offices and every job in this country. Can you say with 100% that the big wigs in your industry aren’t doing it? I can’t and the top people in my industry are known names. and guess what if stuff came out about some people would be shocked others would be like no joke.
Don’t just assume stuff. Her statement was bad but the point that not everyone always knows is a good one to remember because it does highlight why people are scared to come forward and why it can continue.
What matters is who knows and it tends to be other people like Harvey and the victims.
Errr you don’t need to read gossip in the papers to know who are the predators in the Industry you work in – I didn’t, women TELL each other and their male friends, every organisation in the world that has a certain level of institutional sexism or harassment = people know its a simple as that…
Not what I said. What I care about is that we focus on what he did and why people allow it to happen and why women are scared to come out.
Not Meryl Streep who is pointless
‘with some of these high power people maybe the rumors didn’t get to them.’
That’s exactly what you said dear , you could give Meryl a run for her money on changing your narrative…everyone knows Weinstein is the devil here, but that’s not what you were talking about and you were doing it in response to an article ABOUT Meryl. give me a break
I said maybe! And listen get on your moral high ground, judge her (and for the record I can’t stand Meryl Streep) attack her, burn all her movies and all the movies of anyone who works with him and didn’t say anything. For the record you will be watching Lena Dunham pretty much exclusively because she’s the only consistent voice on this.
Or maybe just maybe don’t be so close minded and open up to the idea that she didn’t know. That this information didn’t get to her, or the British actress who tattooed his name on her butt, name left me.
Also are you 100% sure this isn’t happening at your job? You’ve never heard a rumor? I bet you have. Because if you have and stayed quiet, well glass house don’t you think.
@K: If you’re right, that still paints Meryl in a bad light, IMO.
Even if she personally chose not to engage in gossip or read about it, she has people whose job it is to be aware of these things, especially when it comes to people that their boss will be working for and associated with.
If she’s telling the truth, then to me, that means she implicitly conveyed to her assistants/PR people/etc. not to tell her anything she didn’t want to hear.
@loreil I totally agree she doesn’t look good in this at all no matter what. I just think the focus should be more on the board at his company, that covered for him and the HR that didn’t support the staff then Meryl’s statement.
It was a bad statement and she probably did know but I can see how she might not have. But the fact there were specific people with the ability to stop it that did know and they did nothing is a bigger deal for me.
Like Matt Damon, she was already cancelled, but fine. I’m renewing the cancelling of them both. Many more to come, methinks.
Right
Every rat wants to leave the sinking ship
Now that the Harvey ship is sinking many such public declarations will follow.
Who knows, Meryl probably benefitted as well, if say Harvey killed some better contender for her campaign.
As far as cancelling goes, we cancel those who we don’t like easily
And those who we like and appreciate we tend to forgive
We are all humans and we have all our flaws.
So yeah.
Nope. Try harder, Meryl. Honestly, it would have been smarter of her to lay low.
And there’s no way Obama and Hillary didn’t know as well. Everybody knew and put their self-interest ahead of what was right.
I can’t say that ofcourse she knew. I think people on top get protected from gossip and rumours.
When I went to College I got sexually haressed by a male teacher. I told another female student about it and she said it happened to her too.
I then went to talk to a female teacher who I knew was a feminist. At first she thought it was a mistake and said that he was a “touchy person” but it was not sexually. But then I told her that he had said that he thinks about sex when he sees me and the other student came in to tell her story too. My female proffessor really didn’t know and it was difficult for her to hear and understand that her colleague and friend behaved like that with younger female students. She had no idea.
But once she knew she did everything to help us to report him to the school board. She was on our side. He only got a warning but that’s another story.
I really think you can work, be friends, or even live with a person without knowing everything about the other person.
That falls for me into the category, Statements that make you go hmmm …She starts and ends well, but the middle part should have been left out. Communicationwise this sort of statement is sometimes worse than no statement at all. On the other hand, there are people who do not want to know and see such things even if they are being hit by argumentative trees, unfortunatly I know that out of experience. But I also believe her that he treated her well. She doesn’t seem to apreciate that she’s now forced to say something – that’s what I am reading into her statement. That’s interpretive but she soemhow reminds me of people who do not want to take sides, particularly because it’s inconvenient for them. I want to say he treated her well, she profited from it and acknowledging and realising the existence of rumors would have brought her into difficulties in front of herself because he didn’t mistreat her.
At this point I really want this industry to be shaken through – somehow actors and actresses must receive more protection from sexual harassment. Too many of them are too vulnerable.
I think you’re being real gentle here, everyone knew. Everyone. The article flat out says women had been talking about this for years. Journalists are coming forward and saying it was an open secret in hollywood. Meryl’s in the same league as everyone else right now, she knew and did nothing.
Hell if you think this stops here you’re wrong. What about all the child stars who are preyed on by adults? How many of these stars also know about the molestations going on his Hollywood and are doing nothing?
Hollywood is a disgusting industry, built on nothing but filth.
this statement of hers is VERY self serving, it basically only exits to exonerate her.
Antway f*ck Meryl – she only got an Oscar for the Iron Lady because of Weinsteins bully tactics, and then had the nerve to bang on about what an amazing lady Thatcher was despite the fact that she is still hated in the UK by many ( it was also not even that good, she was merely aping a caricature of Maggie)
im with you. she lost me after she gave roman polanski the child rapist, a standing ovation. disgusting beyond measure. you dont get praise for covering your own reputation once someone like weinstein is outed. she’s self serving here obviously. i hate that women are being put on the spot here but this also brings up hollywoods history of hypocrisy, harvey is bad YES, so is roman polanski. while we are on the topic and it finally has mass traction, lets get his vile ass ousted, shall we?
I highly recommend a beautiful gem of a movie, ahead of its time, called The Congress, directed by Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir) and starring Robin Wright. Is a very trippy and smart satire half sci fi half animation and thoughtful comment on ageism in showbiz, the future and Hollywood. Well Robin plays “Robin Wright” an aging actress who has no choice other than sell the rights of her image so it can be digitally used in future films as an eternal version of her younger, beautiful self. (which is a reality now, Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher…scary!) There’s a character played by Danny Huston who’s a powerful producer who is not even subtly based on Harvey Weinstein: he runs a studio called “Miramount” ….enough saying. In one scene Wright describes how this producer coerces and threatens to kill the career of young actresses who won’t agree to his advances. She says that she and a few others who refused were denied roles, awards and even blacklisted. All the others agreed to suck his dick for a role, an audition or even awards.
They all know, They all knew.
Remember at the Oscars show the joke “ the 5 actresses who must not simulate to find Harvey Weinstein attractive anymore “.Hollywood knew about Weinstein’s casting couch habit since always ( it was even a joke) and about sexual harassment and rape since Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd publicly talked
How do these f*cking idiots think whispers like this START? she heard the whispers, and in her nice position at the top of the pile before he ever even got his company off the ground, never had to deal with it.
Isnt there a famous quote about the evil of men ( and women) who do nothing?
I worked in a very well established broadcasting organisation for 3 years – we ALL knew who the predators were regardless of if we were focused on or not.
She SHOULD be canceled.
Harvey apparently repeatedly targeted very young, beautiful women nowhere near the kind of recognition Meryl got early on. There’s something about her that to me suggests she didn’t GAF because these women may not have her native talent. But not everyone is a Meryl or a Viola.
If she on any level thinks a gorgeous ambitious young woman with no in might warrant a “‘meh”” while her own connected, “handsome” (not Harvey’s “type”) daughters trying to get in on Mommy’s fame wouldn’t, she should be canceled. They’re a canny lot. They’re Gummers!! Doing it on their own sweat, just like Gwyneth.
Anyway, I believe this is how she operates. No I can’t prove it anymore than anyone could prove the reverse. This is a despicable, ass-covering statement. Shame on her forever. She can take a seat, from which she will be applauding Polanski til her palms hurt.
Many articles (like the LA times) have discussed what a favorite Harvey was during oacar time and her name and face was all over those articles. She has a chance at oscar again. This was damage control from someone who knows how to maneuver in this industry. She knew. They all knew. Matt Damon, russel Crowe, Nicole Kidman, etc.
And it is not slut shaming, victim blaming, or fake feminism to call it out.
PREACH!
This.
Jessica Chastain tweeted that she was warned from the start, and everyone knew…
They all knew. They didn’t care.
Exactly. HW abused his power for over 3 decades and his industry did not care. Not only his industry but top politicians and charities. Top talent continued to work with him because he produced great movies and could advance their career. That is what they cared about, their careers. I think of Mama Morton’s song ‘When you’re good to mama’ when I think about this issue.
IMO, it’s interesting the public demand statements from his peers denouncing his behavior. What are they going to say, that they didn’t know…sure.
I think that they knew the whispers, but I also think that torrent of whispers/rumors in Hollywood creates a blind spot that is only overcome by damning confirmation. People (famous and non famous) also tend to be less likely to react without some authoritative action confirming said rumors. We as a country still have a hard time believing women when it comes to accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault. I wouldn’t expect Meryl Streep to be any different.
I refuse to cancel anyone over Harvey because I think everyone at some time knew something about someone and didn’t take out their bullhorn to tell the world. There is definitely self preservation at work here, but it is effortless to sit safely from a distance and get angry about someone else who decided they weren’t going to put their career on the line or get involved.
If Meryl was never directly affected then what was she supposed to do except confront Harvey. It isn’t her job to run around policing disgusting perverts in Hollywood when they should be policing themselves. He isn’t her boss or her relative or her partner, so I doubt he is someone she feels responsible for or even ponders much outside of working with him from time to time.
In her letter, she also asked that the excellent work people did not be dismissed because of him and that is the most significant part of the message to pay attention to in my mind. Outing Harvey could have meant destroying innocent women’s careers or tainting projects people worked their asses off to put together. There are people connected to him that endured his nastiness and then went on to have satisfying careers.
There was no alternative to HW or Miramax to fall back on at one time because they were the only ones supporting smaller quality films for a long time, and he would campaign and push his movies like no one else. It may seem like this issue is more important than that but clawing your way to the top of this industry is difficult, and it takes luck and a working knowledge about connections, who to avoid, a great agent and access. No access and there will be no A list career or the enormous paychecks either.
Other people did confront him, but they just didn’t go public, and some people avoided him, but the truth is the victims were the only ones with direct knowledge about him. We understand why they were silent, and we should understand why no one came forward publicly. I would love to say I would have but I don’t know what it is like to go against someone with that kind of power that could destroy everything I worked for and block me in the future. Would I make it my mission to focus on this person or would I just tell other women and hope something terrible happens to him? I don’t know.
Harvey is the villain here. He is the perp and the one who created the atmosphere around him and held Hollywood hostage for well over a decade.
So….Hollywood is back to business. Move along, nothing to see here folks.
Basically, yes. It’s been business for 3 decades of his abuse…
The problem is her statement after-the-fact. She’s been silent and complicit for years so she should simply stay out of the conversation. Her jumping on the train at the last minute now that everything’s public and ‘safe’ is cowardice. Had she bravely made mention, draw attention or go on record historically, her words would have validity. It’s all eye-rolling PR at this point because ‘everyone’s doing it.’ She’s another privileged sheep trying to cash in on a discussion that happened in spite of her protected career.
@Mabs + 1,000
But that is in a way what I am saying. No one did anything for decades so now saying anything is weak because when it mattered no one did anything for whatever reason. I don’t know how much anyone knew either. The people who had the real power to stop him didn’t and allowed him to amass enormous power to cover his tracks. I hold his shareholders and people who knew about the payoffs responsible for allowing this monster to grow. They had evidence he was a menace but didn’t yank him years ago knowing he would continue to hurt people.
Now that his power is on the decline it is easy to be correct and take the right side because they feel compelled to say something but it is now a no win situation.
If I were Meryl’s publicist, I’d just go with the first and last paragraphs. I seriously doubt she didn’t know, she just didn’t care to say anything as it didn’t apply directly to her. Still, I give her some credit for being the first of the Harvey crowd to speak up.
Certainly not holding Ms Streep responsible for the actions of a sexual predator. Not going apply “cancel” in any way. But is it just me or is “not everyone knew” sounding a lot like #notallmen or #notallwhitepeople
I think our world might be better if we all (me included) stopped absolving ourselves of the tiny parts we play in the evils of the world. And that would include powerful people investigating when they hear the “whispers”.
You’re all here knew because you have followed gossip for years. There are people who just don’t care about gossips. Of course President Obama didn’t know, why would he?
Because he has a security detail.
Let’s be honest, if i , a nobody in the middle of nowhere knew, they all knew. Meryl Streep knew, Obama knew, but they knew that they or their daughter would never experience that same sort of treatment.
But you know what, even though we all knew, we still watched the movies this guy made, we still lined his pockets and in our own little way enabled him to carry on doing this. So before we start “cancelling” people right and left, maybe we should think about our own collective responsibility here. Nothing happens in a vacuum
Nice of Streep to speak out now at the tail end of her successful career, after decades of everyone in Hollywood knowing about Weinstein.
As for Hillary Clinton – with her husband’s record and how she turned a blind eye to it for decades? She knows if she says a word about Weinstein, Bill and Monica will be back in the spotlight.
Judi Dench says she didn’t know.
Pft. I’m just waiting for someone to say “I was only following orders”.
Me too.
And so it started. I was waiting for a phrase where famous women of Hollywood entered this story. I would think that most of them now will be asked about Harvey and most of them will say that they did not know. That would be their version of excluding themsevles from the list of victims. I mean not many Hollywood A lists would want to admit they leaned into his twisted ways for a role. But we all know now it happened probably more often than not. I mean 3 decades! And as soon as they do, only the non A listers will be left as accusers and again thr conversation will shift to who did what for fame and all those victims are invening the stories for their 15 minutes of fame. It would be great if someone like Jennifer Lawrence came out and spoke out about the treatment of women by mennint the industry. The David O Russell behavior does not raise to the level of Weinstein but in a way this story with Winestein shows the disballance of power in Hollywood and how often women are put in humiliating or even risky situations.
As for Meryl, yeah right, so noble of her to issue this statement now that he is fired. This is the reaso why it is becoming increasinglly difficult to defend liberalism, because liberals use it only as an opportunity to show their own moral superiority rather than actually act upon principles of human rights and tolerance.
I have a feeling JLaw might have been a victim of his. And yes, I’m using the term “victim” . Most of the women who said yes to him were still saying it under threatening and coercive conditions… not genuine consent. He had a violent temper and enough power to ruin their reputations and careers. I’m sure they might also have a lot of shame associated with their dealings with him (not saying they should) that might prevent a lot of them from coming out and making a statement. Don’t judge the women who didn’t feel “strong” enough to take him down or resist him, judge the ones who covered for a piece of scum like him and kept him in power.
I like some of Meryl’s movies, but she is the typical Hollywood actress who will sell her soul for the perfect role. See Roman Polanski.
Indeed. I’ll take Susan Sarandon over her anyday of the week. But lets not get off topic. Harvey Weinstein is scum!
Glenn Close just made a statement. Close acknowledge she heard the rumors about Harvey. Close’s team probably read Streep’s statement and thought — bullsh*t.
Glenn’s statement is good, and probably the experience of most of the big name stars he’s worked with – they heard some rumors, but never were witness or victim themselves.
@Kaiser: Thank you for your excellent coverage of this story. I have to admit your first paragraph cracked me up. A Columbus Day to remember! 😂
“That’s Meryl’s “crime” – she saw what she wanted to see, heard what she wanted to hear. She was far from the only one. And I still don’t think we should be burning or canceling every single person who has ever worked with Weinstein.”
So does this apply to those that still & will work with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski?
@JaneSaid’s comment are interesting re: Florence Foster Jenkins Best Actress Oscar nomination. I’m an Amy Adams fan and surprised she didn’t receive a nomination. When Viola Davis received awards for The Help I figured she was a shoo-in for the Oscar only to see it go La Meryl. A week later I read Streep made a generous donation to Davis’ hunger charity. “911? I want to report a robbery. Viola Davis and Amy Adams wuz robbed!”
Glenn Close gave a heartfelt statement.
I’ve never watched a Polanski film even when free on TV. And 1 Woody Allen film because I read stories from their victims. Since “everybody” knew of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assaults on this trend and are pointing fingers we can assume you all have boycotted every Weinstein film no? Have not contributed to his wealth and success? Isn’t it weird how his films are popular in culture, have reviews left by my fellow celebitches and make so much money watching themselves?
A single man
The imitation game
Sicko
Apollo 18
Blue Valentine
Carol
Factory girl
Youth in Revolt
Rambo
Boy A
The King’s Speech
The fighter
Inglorious Basterds
The Road
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Bully
No Where Boy
Django Unchained
Silver Linings Playbook
The Master
The Nanny Diaries
School for Scoundrels
Etc.
Etc.
Exactly my point. It is much more realistic to say I won’t support him every again or anyone else who does. Otherwise, it is a little hollow to protest now just like the actors are.
Oh please, everybody knew, including her. She’s such a fraud. She’s only coming out against him because she always puts her career first. She’s famed for being a vapid, narcissistic monster of a woman.
Oh my word. Everyone with keen ears or an internet connection has known of -or at least been aware of – these “allegations” for decades. How silly to suggest anyone involved in government or Hollywood wouldn’t have heard mention of it as there are dozens of people hired specifically to “anticipate and avoid PR conflicts” – for even the most low level public figures. Simply ridiculous. Perhaps people just choose what they wish to acknowledge or believe depending on how it benefits or inhibits their circumstances.
Have you seen what Jeff Bridges said? He made Weistein sound like he’s a victim.
Oh no, Jeff bridges really? He’s my eternal penis. Oh well, scratch that then.
“He’s facing his demons now. I hope the best for him”
*internet storm ensues*
*clarification made after internet storm*:
“He did terrible things”
Colour me shocked. Who’d have thought neoliberal Hollywood democrats could be so narcissistic and self serving? Drain the swamp!
You know this story is big when it’s actually going beyond the internet and on to commercial television. As opposed to a lot of internet scandals that the MSM don’t give a shit about.
I just don’t understand why she made a statement at all; it’s not like she was being dragged through the mud by anyone by association! But by making this statement, we are all questioning how much she knew or didn’t know. This post has more than 200 comments, about triple the number who replied to learning Matt Damon knowingly vouched for HW’s character! She was really stupid to put this out there, and in my eyes, it can only make her look extremely ignorant and in an ivory tower or extremely self serving and untruthful.
I don’t understand it either. I don’t get why she wrote the statement — never thought about her in connection to Weinstein until she brought her name up.
True, if she had waited an hour or two, the heat would have been on Damon and Crowe. Now they skate.
Check out Donna Karan’s defense of HW in the DM, where she says the women need to look at themselves and how they dress….
I will never believe with the contacts Meryl Streep has that she did not know about this.
Jessica Chastain retweeting Vanity Fair article about men needing to change the culture in Hollywood as far as inappropriate behavior.
Jessica Chastain::
“Yes. I’m sick of the media demanding only women speak up. What about the men? Perhaps many are afraid to look at their own behavior…..”
Chastain also confirmed she knew Weinstein’s reputation since the beginning
So — actresses admitting to knowing:
-Jessica Chastain
-Kate Winslet
-Glenn Close
-Lena Dunham
-Asia Arsento
-Rose McGowan
But Meryl did not know. B=llshit. Meryl has THREE daughters (ages 26 to 32) who also act in Hwood and in NYC Theater. Yet all they didn’t know or failed to tell their mother. Meryl’s sliding morality scale is revolting.
if you want to know what Hollywood is really like (and has been since day1) watch the (admittedly awful) film “Black Dahlia” from the early aughts. It will give you some true history and nothing has changed. Look up George Hodell as well. There is so much wrong and sick with that town. HW just scratches the surface. And maybe Meryl can tell herself she didnt know because he never tried anything with her. So she can lie to herself that it was all just rumor….all those years. They can all lie to themselves pretty well. That’s what actors do.
I don’t buy it. She knew like the rest of the world, nevermind the inner power-player circles of HW.
Meryl already had a lot of prestige as an actress by the time she met Weinstein, I don’t really get why she’d need to be nice to him.
Then again, it probably wouldn’t have occurred to me to think about her in connection with Weinstein until she wrote her statement. She drew attention to something it might not ever have occurred to me to think about.
“The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar.” Passive voice, segueing immediately to generalization — these are the rhetorical devices most accessible to a guilty conscience. (And least likely to violate a non-disclosure agreement.)
I give props to anyone who comes forward to condemn a sexual predator, but stop making it about yourself, and stick to making it about supporting the victims. Don’t deny you knew, don’t deny you heard rumors. In all those years you never worked with one actress with a Weinstein tale to tell? The odds are not with you. Just say you support the victims and condemn the predator. Period. As for Obama not knowing, has anyone heard of the Secret Service? What do you think their job is before Malia steps foot into a building, let alone a place she will be working? They had the dirt, but they also knew he wouldn’t dare. That’s the problem with the power brokers, they all protect each other, no matter what, and they all think that because they do, they will never get caught. But maybe that’s what really happened, maybe he messed with the wrong young woman = time to be brought down. Maybe his partners were sick of him so “allowed” the NYT to run the story finally. With people with money and power, its always about the money and power. No one all of a sudden grew a conscience about the downtrodden.
“Harvey Weinstein On Why Polarizing Darren Aronofsky Pic ‘Mother!’ Is A Masterpiece”
Darren Aronofsky also signed the infamous Polanski letter. JLaw clearly gets along well with sexist pigs. Yeah, I knew Darren back in the day when he dated Lucy Lui. He was a twisted sexist then too.
So…this just happened. A new blind says that Harvey has HUNDREDS of photos and videos, many sent to him voluntarily by very famous actresses. So many of these ladies are afraid. They don’t want to take down their own careers or bring other people down with them. I am sure Harvey would expose it all for revenge.
This makes sense to me and possibly the reason more HOllywood heavyweight ladies have not come forward. I imagine Kate Winslet nor Meryl ever sent him nudes.
Also, DONNA KARAN is DEFENDING him!! Outrageous. She is blaming the VIctims! So enraging. She uses the old time adage, they asked for it! As if they were wearing clothes that were to skimpy. Oh! the irony.
Donna Karan’s victim blaming is sick and sad. Everyone in fashion knew about this guy. She must have had acash boost from him.
I’m not one for cancelling, but I AM cancelling Donna Karan.
Streep worked on The Hours with Weinstein at the helm. She knew. She’s also very chummy with Scott Rudin, who is just as much of a terror.
Adore Meryl Streep but doubtful she had no clue. Weak.
Personally, I’m not so surprised that not more famous people in Hollywood are speaking up. Harvey was powerful because he was good friends with other bosses. Which means many actors are quite possibly employed at this moment by a good friend of Harvey and/or someone just like him. Many people think that the famous movie stars have a lot of power but as far as I’ve seen, they’re just the faces upfront. I don’t mean to ramble, but remember that joke diagram explaining how the size of the an engagement ring represents the job/income level of a person in Hollywood? The smallest one is the actor, then the director, and then the producer. And that’s the real pecking order. Many acting careers can easily be crushed.
I am, however, still disappointed that more people like Meryl, who I would have thought would be near untouchable at this point, are not being more brave and saying something. I guess Harvey and his ilk really are that omnipresent and powerful.
And I am outright disgusted that people like Russell Crowe and Matt Damon protected Harvey by killing the earlier story about him, and someone like Donna Karan can defend “wonderful” Harvey by blaming his victims. It’s one thing to be struggling to rise inside the system, but once you start greasing its machinery, you become just about as culpable as the predators who run it.
Longtime reader first-time commenter! Hello everyone!
I felt the need to share my thoughts on this because there is so much vitriol from people in the comments about how Meryl had to have known and shame on her for not speaking out sooner. My father was a very similar person to Weinstein in the medical field and did a lot of really atrocious things.
My mother and I certainly had some idea that his behavior was inappropriate, but he put on a different front for us. We didn’t KNOW know until he passed away and people came forward. I believe it’s possible for the professional influence one has to circumvent the rumors. It is very likely that a man who is apparently as business and image-savvy as Weinstein can create a few different versions of himself, to be used as it suited him.
Instead of ripping Meryl apart maybe we should be more supportive of her speaking out. When someone persuades you that they are who they say they are, and prove themselves to be your advocate professionally, it must be incredibly difficult to listen to the rumors and speak out if you don’t have personal experience as a victim.
I appreciate the other points of view here but I think in this instance support speaks louder then criticism. Meryl certainly isn’t perfect but in this situation, from someone who has been in a similar position, albeit far far removed from this type of spotlight, it is very hard to know what is the best way to navigate this type of situation.