I forgot about this already, but in the initial flurry of celebrity statements about Harvey Weinstein last week, Kate Winslet was one of the first to put out a statement of support for the victims. Winslet said, in part: “The fact that these women are starting to speak out about the gross misconduct of one of our most important and well regarded film producers, is incredibly brave and has been deeply shocking to hear…I fully embrace and salute their profound courage, and I unequivocally support this level of very necessary exposure of someone who has behaved in reprehensible and disgusting ways.” Except that as it turns out, Kate Winslet wasn’t all that shocked. I mean, she seems to maintain the idea that she had no idea Weinstein was and is a sexual predator. But she knew he was a bully and an a-hole long ago. From her interview with the LA Times:
She didn’t thank Weinstein when she won her Oscar in 2009: “That was deliberate. That was absolutely deliberate. I remember being told. ‘Make sure you thank Harvey if you win.’ And I remember turning around and saying, ‘No I won’t. No I won’t.’ And it was nothing to do with not being grateful. If people aren’t well-behaved, why would I thank him? The fact that I’m never going to have to deal with Harvey Weinstein again as long as I live is one of the best things that’s ever happened and I’m sure the feeling is universal.”
He took credit for putting her in her first film role in Heavenly Creatures: “For my whole career, Harvey Weinstein, whenever I’ve bumped into him, he’d grab my arm and say, ‘Don’t forget who gave you your first movie.’ Like I owe him everything. Then later, with ‘The Reader,’ same thing, ‘I’m gonna get you that Oscar nomination, I’m gonna get you a win, I’m gonna win for you.’ But that’s how he operated. He was bullying and nasty. Going on a business level, he was always very, very hard to deal with — he was rude. He used to call my female agent a [vulgar name for a woman] every time he spoke to her on the telephone.”
Weinstein badgered Sydney Pollack on his deathbed and harassed the widow of Anthony Minghella in 2008 (both were producers on ‘The Reader’): “I can’t even begin to describe the disgraceful behavior that went on — and I’m actually not going to because it’s a can of worms that I’m not prepared to publicly open — nothing to do with sexual harassment, thankfully, lucky me. My god. I somehow dodged that bullet.”
Weinstein shut down production on ‘The Reader’ even though they needed four more days of filming: “We still had a full four days of shooting of very key scenes that for me — as a person playing that part — were absolutely crucial to the story and to Stephen Daldry, they were as well. And Harvey just decided, ‘OK, we’re done. No more money. I’m pulling the plug.’ We had to stop and were sent home. That was it. And again, this is just on the business side of things, but he was always, always very, very, very unpleasant to deal with. Very.”
‘The Reader’ was the last time she worked with Weinstein: “Damn right. I … stand up for myself and I don’t pander to what you’re supposed to do and what you’re not supposed to do. I won’t be pushed around or bullied by anyone. I was bullied as a child. Never again. Certainly not by Harvey Weinstein.”
I’d forgotten about all of that behind-the-scenes stuff with The Reader. Maybe I just ignored it when that information came out because I despised that movie so much and I always felt like… Winslet should have won for a different role. Sense & Sensibility would have been the ideal movie for her to win an Oscar, looking back on her filmography, right? She should have won for S&S, or maybe Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind because holy sh-t that was a crazy movie, but definitely not for The Reader. Anyway, I believe that Weinstein harassed Sydney Pollack on his deathbed and harassed Anthony Minghella’s widow. I believe that Weinstein called Winslet’s agent the C-word. I believe Winslet refused to thank Weinstein on purpose.
I do have to wonder though… if Kate Winslet is a bit like Jennifer Lawrence, in that she has a high tolerance for douchebags, and the convenient ability to put aside her belief system when it’s for a good role. Winslet did this interview as part of the press around her latest film, Wonder Wheel, directed by Woody Allen. In an interview last month, Kate even namechecked Roman Polanski, an admitted rapist, as a “incredible director.” Kate should be believed when she talks about Weinstein’s appalling behavior – just as we should believe her when she talks about how she thinks Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are totes brilliant.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
She’s cancelled.
Polanski and Allen.
White feminists want a pat on the back for breathing.
Well said!
How does she want a pat on the back? It seems like she’s just sharing her experience.
I think by saying “I won’t be pushed around. I won’t be bullied” she is asking for a pat on the back i.e. I was strong enough to fight back. Other people didn’t have the advantages you have. And again I just feel like if you work with Allen (new movie with him) and Polanski, you have proven you are capable of ignoring sexual predation when it’s professionally convenient for you so don’t act like some kind of modern day Joan of ark now.
she is totally victim blaming here. The “I won’t be bullied by anyone, especially HW” puts the abuse squarely on the shoulders of the victims, for “allowing” it.
She is truly horrible.
I can see how it would read like that, but she also says she isn’t sure how she got lucky and escaped the sexual harassment from HW.. she explicitly states it was just luck and not anything she did. And because of the women coming forward she is able not to work with him anymore, not because of her own actions.
Aside from her statements (which I agree, coupled with her Polanski/Allen support are really not great) how does this lead one to conclude that white feminists want a pat on the back for breathing? That’s quite a stretch.
I took the bullying comment not as a slam/victim blaming to anyone else, but as her reason for never working with him again after that. She had a horrible experience, said that’s enough, and never worked with him after that.
THIS. THANK YOU.
It’s like white women want support when it effects them but it’s crickets when it’s a black woman. Where were y’all for Hill?
I cannot
Shhhh!
Don’t get me started on Rose McGowan and her N word comparisons. Oh Brother!
Oh no need. Almost burst a blood vessel at that stupid tone deaf comment and the not sorry apology.
As if black women dont experience racism and sexism. But this always comes out when white women are centered in these movements. See pantsuit nation
Yes!
Working with Woody Allen was also deliberate, so take a sit, Kate.
@ YeahRight all of them?
#notallwhitefeminists!
#notme!
#ineedacookie!
If it applies then use it, if not, keep it moving.
No need to get your feelings hurt because I’m sick of white apathy.
Millie,
If this applies to your brand of “white” feminism and you are offended, then maybe view it as a teachable moment and do a bit of research on how to care about things that don’t revolve around you. If it doesn’t apply to you, then ignore my comments. People who are “offended” for offense sake are losing the plot.
@YeahRight
Millie just ask a simple question they didn’t attack you or your comment so why are you repeatedly attacking them and gettIng defensive.
As a non- white feminist I gotta say – that’s a pretty wide stroke you are painting with… Kate Winslet may be insufferable, but she does not speak for all white women. And not all white women come from a place of privilege. We will not win when we tear each other down. I saw someone post a ‘me too’on Facebook today. It was a white gay male friend of mine who had been verbally harassed during an interview. At first I was angry. Like, how dare you compare your verbal harradment to my rape experience? But then I realized, we can only be stronger together and by sharing our stories. It’s not my place to shame another for trying. Even when misguided. Peace. Love.
Thank you, well said.
If the shoe fits…if not…
If not what? Just put up with inaccurate insults?
What is OP talking about? How did this turn into commentary about white feminists? I feel like in many of the comments on this page someone is always looking to somehow insert some negative comment on white feminist when there is no reason to, if there ever is. So weird, I do not get it. Also re the comment on her having a high tolerance for douchebags, if she did she probably would have worked with him again so I’m not sure about that.
Saw a disgusting photo of her hugging and kissing Roman Polanski; couldn’t stand to look at her ever since. Plus, she’s an admitted liar, so whatever words come out of her mouth mean nothing anyway.
Yea you don’t get a cookie Kate. You excused sexual predators just a few weeks ago.
The dissonance when dealing with these guys is appalling. The reaction is because the rest of world got confirmation to what we already knew. Not because you guys actually believe the crap you’re selling us.
Exactly.
Her grandstanding is even more hilarious cause she thanked Weinstein at the SAGs. 😝😄😆
Oh she did? Oh, brother!
Exactly I saw this story and my eyes almost rolled out of my head this weekend.
So she’s only against powerful predators when their behavior doesn’t impede upon her career.
Or when they are nice to her, right?
Weinstein is a rude, serial rapist, who calls women the “C” word, so screw him! But Woody and Roman are polite sexual offenders (to say at least), so that’s okay.
That’s what I’m thinking – in comparison to Weinstein, those predators weren’t rude bullies on set, so she’s fine working with them.
I don’t understand how she, and MANY others can do that.
Bingo!
This 100 percent.. I’m sorry but she just wants to seem so brave, so bold, so fearless but she only decided to speak out until the –it hit the fan. Give me a break. Can’t have it both ways Kate you can’t celebrate, acclaim and rejoice with Roman and Woody and claim to be on a woman’s side.
She’s only saying this now to try and stop the backlash for being in a Woody Allen film. I hope more people call her out and confront her about her BS
Oh Kate!!..I loved you after Titanic,but now I can’t stand you..SHUT UP!! You can’t excuse Allen & Polanski just cause you want that other Oscar…URGH!!
There’s so much cognitive dissonance in Hollywood because they (now) speak up for the victims of sexual assault but at the same time still support Roman Polanski – a child rapist. You can’t both support the victim and perpetrator.
As someone already pointed out: your outrage & disgust for the predator Weinstein is cancelled out by your support & willingness to work with Polanski & Allen.
Stop it.
And as someone else has pointed out, she thanked him happily enough at another awards ceremony.
If HW could still benefit her career she would be singing a different tune just like she is about Polanski and Allen.
Exactlly. She strikes me like such a fake.
She’s talking but everything she says about HW is meaningless.
so, what then? all the people who did thank him, don’t have your integrity, Kate?
right.
This is such a self aggrandising pile of crap isn’t it, she really just needs to eff right off.
Yeah, right she simply forgot to thank him. She thanked him at the sag awards 😤 And she thinks the world of weirdos Polanski and Allen.
Deliberate, my ass. She thanked him in her SAG speech that year. People like her should just keep quiet because now we know for a fact that she’s disingenuous and a liar.
She’s the worst hypocrite. I can’t stand her any more.
I used to be a huge fan of hers and she has become so disappointing,
Me too. I still think she’s a great actress and I’ve liked many of her roles, but personally I can’t understand a lot of her words and actions in recent years.
Whatever. Winslet is coming out against Weinstein now because his career in Hollywood is over. I don’t believe for a second she would ever be the first to speak up against a powerful filmmaker. As someone wrote above, a lot of these women want a pat on the back for speaking out against Weinstein while continuing to work with Allen, Polanski, and probably many other sexual predators in Hollywood that we will likely never even hear about. Damnit, I was a huge Winslet fan early on in her career, but I can’t take her anymore. She’s gone full Hollywood and has lost all common sense.
I couldn’t understand the hypocrisy either until I realized something. They support Allen and Polanski but not Weinstein because, despite them being predators, in the professional setting, they’re not, not to their coworkers and employees. Weinstein on the other hand uses his power over them in the professional setting to harass, bully, and assault them.
Exactly.
Except for his victims, all these people are eager to denounce HW because he is a bully. They hate him. He lorded his power over them whether in business or not. They resented him. It’s easy to denounce what you despise.
On the other hand Allen and Polanski and the others are well liked and respected. If and when they start getting called out and exposed further then you know Hollywood is changing. Don’t hold your breath.
You know where I see the real hypocrisy as well? Casey Affleck. He chose to harass women who are his coworkers and employees. All in the workplace setting. Then he won an Oscar and presenting the Best Actress award at the next Oscar. Hollywood is full of enablers.
This is what I was thinking too over the past few days. Polanski liked young teen girls and Allen preyed on his own kids, that’s different from HW. As long as Polanski and Allen are professional on set and treat their actors well, they don’t have any firsthand skin in the game. Which doesn’t make it any better, of course, but I see the context now.
Look, Winslet seems self-serving and oblivious whenever she opens her mouth, but I really don’t like this:
“I do have to wonder though… if Kate Winslet is a bit like Jennifer Lawrence, in that she has a high tolerance for douchebags, and the convenient ability to put aside her belief system when it’s for a good role. ”
If Hollywood is filled from top to bottom with predatory douchebags, if every industry is filled top to bottom, well of course you have to deal with them to succeed.
Women are also trained to put up with this behavior from men all the time. It’s just exacerbated in the highly isolated, deeply skewed power dynamics of an industry like Hollywood.
I’m with you. I don’t think it’s as much “convenience” as it is necessity, or at least that’s how many women in the industry likely view it.
Kate seems so nervous and uncomfortable in this interview…so much overcompensating.
Jennifer Lawrence grew up with a load of brothers. Did Kate? and do they have a higher tolerance for male hyperbole because they know it’s hot air from boys/men they have loved their whole lives? so maybe, they have the ability to guffaw at other men’s shit and ‘call them out’ like they would their brothers? Not convinced,…. just thinking out loud……..
When you succeed in a world like this you have to blind yourself to the constant disrepects, and it means you begin to disregard the disrepect to yourself, and to others.
At least, that is how I imagine it, after working in the service industry for years.. Both industries that have poor working conditions, drug and alcohol abuse, and perverts with complete power.
You grade it by worseness, because there is no hope it will change. You laugh off the disgusting comments, and adopt the male attitude of ‘its a compliment, you should be flattered’. Just laugh that misogyny away.
I think that is where most of these women will be. They’ve survived a war, and they can’t see that the small wounds they suffered are still hurts, because they’ve seen so much worse.
@detritus this struck a chord with me.
Your comment reminds me of how I was verbally bullied and harassed by teenage male students (16-19 in age) when I was a young and pretty teacher. There was no escape because I was the one who was supposed to “guide” and teach them how to behave. They knew EXACTLY what they were doing and what they were getting away with.
I had to “laugh off” a shit ton of stuff to emotionally survive. No one was going to come and save me. Sink or swim!
That is how I see it.
You cope, and you find your way to deal.
When she said she wasn’t going to be bullied, I didn’t take it as a slam against anyone else, but her moment of feeling at least in that one instance she stood up for herself. Just having a small moment of pushing back. But at the same time revealing why other people avoided him or just wanted nothing to do with him.
Everyone knew what he was. Everyone! So I don’t believe one single denier is being entirely truthful about knowing. They just don’t want to be honest about that because then they will be blamed. Some of them are just flat out lying about their interactions with him, and some are silent because they know if they say anything everyone in the industry will know how ridiculous and too far the lie is. He bragged to everyone who gave in to him, so it is known, but they have the decency (or some other reason) not to contradict the ones who are, but they aren’t going to say anything about them individually and laud them as heroes. It is ok not to have the courage to go scorched earth but saying you didn’t know he was a skeeve is not possible. I don’t think they knew he was a rapist but I do believe they knew something unsavory and sexual bullying was going on with him.
No one is going to be as honest as they could be except for the brave victims who told at a considerable risk to their careers and personal lives. I just don’t think there is a point dissecting the statements too much because they aren’t going to be totally honest.
I don’t blame them for that. The system is still sick, but I do wish the I never heard anything refrain would just stop or else nothing will change. If a predator knew everyone was aware, that might make them understand they aren’t getting away it as much as they think they are.
I don’t blame anyone for Harvey’s behavior, but there have to be some steps in the right direction to end this. The dissecting the entire culture around Harvey can reveal the things that are easily changed immediately without victim shaming.
This is very true. I work in a male dominated profession and there is a lot of misogyny. A. LOT. Still to this day. I like to think I’m a pretty principled person, but there is no doubt I navigated a lot of crap just to do my job and I didn’t feel like I was selling out by refusing to leave my profession or sabotage my career by how I handled it. And I sure wasn’t judging anyone else for how they navigated it. But absolutely, my needs came first and while I’m in a much better position to call out misogyny now and make things better for others, I confess I still wouldn’t commit career suicide unless I couldn’t live with myself otherwise. It makes me sad that this is my reality, but it is reality. So I’ll reserve my harsh judgment for the people who are behind the problematic behaviour and not the people who have to shovel through it.
It’s clear that the truly successful actors/actresses have to be able to compartmentalize to a degree that feels sociopathic. How can you gush about Polanski, currently promote a project with Allen, and then condemn HW?
It’s not just Blanchett. Emma Thompson condemns HW but sympathetic to Polanski.
Rose McGowan loudly condemns Affleck and Weinstein but has no issues with Victor Salva a convicted pedophile.
Emma Thompson dropped her name of Polanski’s petition https://jezebel.com/5400588/emma-thompsons-name-to-be-removed-from-polanski-petition-this-week
oh please
Emma Thompson was very forthcoming about that. She was requested to sign by others that she knew and liked (there was a big push about a decade ago) and when people enlightened her as to what Polanski actually did, she was horrified and gave a mea culpa and took her name off the petition.
Why would you sign a petition where you don’t know all the details? (well, at least if you’re famous anyway). That part has always puzzled me.
I realize she changed her mind, and that’s good, but she’s educated and clearly not a stupid person if her articulation is anything to go by, so I never quite understood how she got placated into signing in the first place. That’s more of a meandering question, not really a wholesale judgment on her as a person.
She spoke about it. The details about him were fading at that time and like she said the victim wasn’t on board with punishing him, so I believe she did not realize the truth. The spin was he thought she was 18 because she lied, so he was being railroaded.
It was accepted until Harvey exposed him so he would taint his film but then since it was Harvey, it still seemed suspect.
She learned the truth and removed her name. Who else has done that?
What Magnoliarose is saying is correct. There was a point where Polanski’s crime had faded in memory so much, that he was able to fabricate his own narrative. “She’s asking for this to go away too” and “I thought she was 18” and “She consented it was only because she was underage”. His crime was painted as though he was an idiot who accidentally slept with a willing underage girl. And he wasn’t afraid to ask his friends for help. You know who asked Emma to sign the petition? Mike Leigh. Someone that she really respected and who’s opinion she trusted. ‘Roman is getting a bad shake, sign this petition’. That’s why so many people signed that stupid petition, which ironically ended up serving to help remind people exactly what he did – after all, that was how Emma was educated about it.
@Bridget–a minor clarification, it was Mike Nichols (not Mike Leigh); Emma mentions a few times in that BBC interview that he (MN) is someone that she really respected and whose opinion she trusted, as you state.
you play with the monsters that feed you. You escape from the ones who eat you. Welcome to real life, children
Kate is such a liar, first she denied having a C-Section, then she could not remember the names of the nominees in her her category when when she won best actress. It was her worst acting by far, funny she remembered the actress name a few weeks to ask for a picture to put in a book.
She claimed she rescued Richard Branson’s mother from the fire at Richard’s home, his mother denied the story.
That is the vacation she went on with her boyfriend, and return with Branson’s nephew. Thought she was trading up, but Rock n Roll quit his job, and he is not a trust fund baby, so Kate has to take jobs with known sexual predators.
Wow had no idea she’s been caught up in so many lies. She’s talented I guess but most characters I’ve watched her play are hard with no softness and are pretty much the same characters with different names (fans I havent watched every performance). she says She was bullied as a kid but I bet she’s the bully now.
I don’t like Kate very much but I just looked up the fire thing and I think it was originally started by Richard Branson exaggerating rather than Kate lying. I can’t see any articles directly quoting her boasting about it anyway. I find her overrated in acting and contrived as a public figure. Maybe the fakeness is just too many years in HW. I don’t have strong feelings about her though.
Protecting her bottom line, like all actors do.
Kate WInslet is a thin-skinned opportunist and narcissist. She has talent though. I have never liked her since I saw her at the Oscar ceremony where she expected to win for TItanic and didnt. Her sour expression told me everything I need to know about her.
I commend her for overcoming all the bullying she went through as a child and young actress. But she is NOT a nice person in my book. Not being nice is probably why she still keeps thriving in this shithole called Hollywood.
I generally find her likable, but, yeah, she is contradictory in her actions. I’m actually kind of depressed about it. I mean, I don’t know her personally, so I shouldn’t take it so hard, but she’s so likeable otherwise, I wish she had better standards about the directors she works with and admires.
As far as putting aside her beliefs for a good role, didn’t Channing Tatum compliment Sandra bullock for putting up with sexism all her career? All women put up with a lot or we wouldn’t be able to work honestly. It’s better with every generation but we sacrifice a lot and work a lot to make it better
I used to like Kate Winslet, but especially since she hooked up with Ned Rocknroll, it seems as though she has made dumb decisions and the hypocrisy has been obvious.
Don’t look now, people, but you’re in frightful danger of judging the abused, yourselves. The single most commonly heard complaint is that women don’t speak up for themselves because they won’t be believed when they speak up; because they are judged for what they did before, during or after, what they said, what they didn’t say, what they “must have known”, what they “must have guessed” … .
Well, look at the comments on posts from much of the past week … scrutinising who said what, how much etc. “She knew”, “he knew”, “I know they’re lying because I know they know …”
Agreed Isb. Bad enough to go through it in the first place but to know you might well not be believed or be humiliated again or have you career and reputation ruined just adds to the misery.
We can all be brave on an internet forum, but it isn’t real life.