In a case fraught with complexity, the former Hollywood mogul was convicted of two felony sex crimes. Will this be a watershed moment for such prosecutions?
Tag: Harvey Weinstein
Tuesday: The announcement marks a watershed moment, but Mr. Weinstein still faces charges in Los Angeles. Also: Tributes to Kobe Bryant.
Our colleagues at "Here's the Thing" produced a great episode this week that we think you'll enjoy:
Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey are the New York Times reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein story. For five months -- perpetually in danger of losing the scoop -- they cultivated and cajoled sources ranging from the Weinsteins’ accountant to Ashley Judd. The article that emerged on October 5th, 2017, was a level-headed and impeccably sourced exposé, whose effects continue to be felt around the world. Their conversation with Alec Baldwin covers their reporting process, and moves on to a joint wrestling with Alec’s own early knowledge of one of the Weinstein allegations, and his ongoing friendship with accused harasser James Toback. The guests ask Alec questions about the movie industry’s ethics about sex and “the casting couch.” Over a respectful and surprising half-hour, host and guests together talk through the many dilemmas posed by the #MeToo movement that Kantor and Twohey did so much to unleash.
As Harvey Weinstein faces trial, we discuss the essential role of gossip and whisper networks in protecting the vulnerable and spreading news that threaten the powerful.
In New York this week, jury selection began in the trial of former Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein. News of his alleged sexual predations launched the #MeToo movement in October 2017, through investigative reporting from both The New York Times and The New Yorker. Even as he prepares to stand trial in New York, sexual assault charges were filed against him in Los Angeles. To date, over eighty women in the film industry have accused him of rape and sexual assault and abuse. Weinstein claims they were all consensual acts.
The reporting has been groundbreaking in its detail, laying out the allegations for the public. But in Hollywood, Weinstein’s abuses already were an open secret. In 2017, Brooke spoke with Buzzfeed senior culture writer Anne Helen Petersen about the essential role of gossip and whisper networks in protecting the vulnerable and spreading news that threatens the powerful.
More than 80 women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein, but as he goes on trial in New York, the criminal charges center on just two. The story of Lucia Evans helps explain why.
👓 #MeToo law restricts use of nondisclosure agreements in sexual misconduct cases | LA Times
Among victims and advocates, an important step in dismantling the pervasive problem of harassment and the system that has kept it under wraps for so long is to void or curb the use of NDAs to settle sexual abuse cases.
📺 Weinstein | Watch S36 E6 | FRONTLINE | PBS
SEASON 36: EPISODE 6
FRONTLINE investigates how Harvey Weinstein allegedly sexually harassed and abused dozens of women over four decades. With allegations going back to Weinstein’s early years, the film examines the elaborate ways he and those around him tried to silence his accusers.
👓 David Boies Pleads Not Guilty | New York Times
The superlawyer in such cases as Bush v. Gore and the fight for gay marriage rights makes no apologies for representing Harvey Weinstein and Theranos with zeal.
👓 Columnist Retracts Harvey Weinstein Interview, Says Conversation Was a "Social Visit" | Hollywood Reporter
'The Spectator's' Taki Theodoracopulos quoted the disgraced mogul as saying, "Yes, I did offer [women] acting jobs in exchange for sex, but so did, and still does, everyone."
🎧 ‘The Daily’: Sexual Harassment’s Toll on Careers | New York Times
In a case that highlights the economic consequences of sexual harassment and retaliation, Ashley Judd is suing Harvey Weinstein for the damage he did to her career after she rebuffed his advances.
And in the second part of the episode, three women who pioneered the language of consent reflect on being far ahead of their time on the politics of sex.
On today’s episode:
• Jodi Kantor, one of the investigative reporters at The New York Times who broke the story about the raft of sexual harassment accusations against Mr. Weinstein, discusses the implications of a new lawsuit.
• We hear from Juliet Brown, Christelle Evans and Bethany Saltman, who helped to establish an affirmative consent policy for sex at Antioch College in 1990.
Background reading:
• Ms. Judd filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing Mr. Weinstein of harming her career by spreading lies about her after she rejected his sexual requests. Her claim is corroborated by the director Peter Jackson, who revealed last year that Mr. Weinstein had warned him not to hire the actress for his “Lord of the Rings” franchise.
• Antioch College students developed a sexual consent policy in the 1990s. It was mocked by much of the rest of the world. Since then, campuses across the country have caught up, and a new generation of Antioch students is pushing the conversation further.
• A Times video journalist recalls being asked to sign a verbal consent form during a visit to Antioch College in 2004, long before the language of sexual consent had entered the mainstream.
Having gone to college in the 90’s myself I also remember the Antioch College agreements. Though they may have gone a bit too far, it’s obvious they were generally right in re-balancing the power in relationships as well as being well ahead of their times.
🎧 Silenced | The Daily – New York Times
A complex system has developed to mute women who accuse powerful men. One of those women is an actress who said she had an affair with Donald J. Trump.
👓 Harvey Weinstein shows how not to respond | Axios
Stunning series of interviews by Maureen Dowd, on the cover of N.Y. Times Sunday Review, "A Goddess, A Mogul And a Mad Genius ... Uma Thurman ... is finally ready to talk about Harvey Weinstein" — and Quentin Tarantino
👓 This Is Why Uma Thurman Is Angry | New York Times
The actress is finally ready to talk about Harvey Weinstein.
👓 The fall of Harvey Weinstein should be a moment to rethink masculinity | Rebecca Solnit | The Guardian
Too many men seem aroused by their ability to humiliate women. But now their victims are being listened to, says writer Rebecca Solnit
👓 Matt Damon, Russell Crowe Reportedly Helped Kill a 2004 Harvey Weinstein Article | Vulture
The Wrap editor Sharon Waxman trades accusations with top Times editors, says Weinstein pressured celebrity friends to help kill the story.