The awful thing is that the quote in the headline is probably more truthful than anything Mr. Weinstein or his attorneys have said on his behalf to date.
Unless and until we empower survivors to speak up and press criminal charges (and file lawsuits) within the statute of limitations, this behavior won't change.
1
A new term use in one of the articles about Weinstein's defense, "transactional sex".
1
Monster-like behavior, now finally exposed. Let us pray actors, male and female alike won't be subjected to such heinous crimes.
Lesson #1 NEVER meet anyone in a private hotel room.
23
Hopefully the pain here shows men that forcing themselves on women is wrong morally and if for some block-headed reason they don't get it, they now know the consequences are serious. Weinstein, Cosby, Lauer, etc, have ruined many lives. I don't know how they look their daughters in the eye.
39
@Kat Perkins Thank you.
9
Why do most rich and powerful folks become sick when they are arrested or tried?
51
I was in physical therapy less than a week after 3 level lumbar fusion reconstruction surgery, Mr Weinstein. I wore a brace off and on for less than three weeks.
Your sympathy card has been cancelled. Stand up straight and face the music.
72
I hope the jury isn't fooled by the weight loss and walker. This man is a serious predator who belongs behind bars.
138
There are men in far less glamorous industries who press their advantage in this exact same way. I hope this trial is a wake up call for them, too.
142
@Amanda i hope it is a wakeup call to women who find themselves in this unfortunate position. they now know they can fight back because of the efforts of their sisters before them.
4
The only reason that the movie industry 'works that way' is because there are a bunch of really demented men at the head of it.
And, that needs to change, more than anything in the world.
5
If Weinstein were president, Mick Mulvaney would say, "I've got news for you. We do this all the time. Get over it." And republicans would applaud, and that would be the end of it. Weinstein would be acquitted because republicans are basically amenable to sexual assault. It's even a qualification to be appointed to the Supreme Court now, and perfectly acceptable for the current, fake president of the United States. Why is Weinstein headed for prison, while trump stays in the White House?
5
Harvey using the walker is just a hoot. He looks like the emotionally and morally damaged person he was and is.
2
IF we could only also prosecute ALL the facilitators, as well as Weinstein.
1
Weinstein's prop -- the walker -- is so absurdly over the top. It looks like a complete miscalculation. It also suggests that all of the talented folks in Hollywood who could have made it look credible are long gone from the Weinstein camp. Not surprised.
5
... she had met with a trauma therapist 55 times, following a referral from prosecutors ...
Sorry, I smell some conflict here.
2
Not to defend Weinstein, but this is not the only industry that works this way...
1
Though I have no intention to defend Weinstain, I experienced "This is how the industry works" moment when I did a TV commercial for my own company.
Our company picked over 100 gender and racial balanced employees from each department.
We signed weiver form, put make-up, camera test the day before.... very professional.
When the director asked us to stand on the bleacher for a group shot, many rushed to get the centre spot. Well, the director had his own vision for the product. He asked some to move to the cornor and others to the centre so that the finished picture will be perfectly balanced. understandably, some were not very happy with their move.
After the group shot, the director announced that he would need 10 people for a close-up shot and that his assistant would contact selected 10 individually.
The mood changed. People started asking each other whether he/she was asked. Some became very agressive
and approached the director apparently "soliciting".
I have no doubt if the director had asked those to come join
for a drink at the hotel bar, they would have no hesitation to come.
We were not profesionals. What if we were actors pursuing the carrier in the film industry?
having seen this, I wouldn't be right juror on this case.
By the way, I was the final 10 for the cose-up!
I understand I was picked not because I was good looking but because I am a visible minority. They needed a visible minority in the scene to make the commercial "politically correct"
2
The sad thing is: the defense seems to be creating some doubt about the accuser. Weinstein will be acquitted. And Trump will be re-elected. Birds of a feather alas.
1
This is also how the world works for or, more likely, against many women. How many men go to interviews and worry that they aren't properly dressed or covered up? How many men walk "safe" streets and worry if they hear footsteps behind them, in broad daylight? How often do men enter a room and look for a way out in case the situation becomes dangerous? How often do men hear demeaning comments about their appearance or get propositioned on the basis of their appearance in the workplace?
From what I hear and see I don't think that men even begin to comprehend what women's lives are like in the workplace, at the gym, or anywhere else. That occasional "comment" a man makes to a woman is probably one of many she's heard that week or month or during her life. Therefore, what's an innocent remark to a man can be an entirely different thing to the woman. And if he can't be bothered to understand that he could at least be bothered not to say it or to think before he says it. I'm referring to the comments about how nice the hair smells, or how cute we look today, and worse.
Men like Weinstein do it because of the power. If they were ever on the receiving end of that treatment they'd hate it. Weinstein is why our society ought to be teaching respect for each other to all children at all ages. No means no.
6
This should not surprise anyone. Joe Kennedy used the casting couch. The Kennedy boys passed women around. It has been practiced I the entertainment industry for decades. It’s deplorable.
1
For a man whose films have won Academy awards, he hasn't learned how to be a good actor, hunched over his walker with his arms extended. He needs better direction! Hire Scorcese.
4
He thinks he's suffering now, but his true punishment awaits when he dies and is truly alone, with no money or lawyers to cloak him.
For the wicked, life's punishments are nothing compared to what death brings. Read some NDE accounts -- most report being made to relive and feel EVERYTHING those they have tormented had felt.
Who’s Harvey’s acting coach?
The schtick with the walker is over the top.
Does he really expect anyone believes this routine?
2
It seems that despite despicable acts by HW these ladies agreed to meet up with him again to discuss roles in movies.
So while it could advance their careers they were ok with his behaviour?
From everything I've read in the "tell all" Hollywood books, Weinstein is right! This behavior is systemic and may involve many studio managers and executives, as well as directors and producers. I think Weinstein is the tip of the iceberg.
7
As Kanye West once said, "with great power comes absolutely no responsibility". Here's to holding to powerful accountable.
4
This is how the industry works, because of men like Weinstein. Perhaps he's telling us to look further. I've had less of a career than I could have for wont of bowing to industry standards. We need to return principles to their right place above Capitalistic greed. A famous actor is not necessarily a good actor, but which goal are we sold by our media?
12
How did Trump refer to Anthony Weiner? That would be the most generous term to describe Weinstein.
3
Skin tag (Saturday Night Live) is a compliment. Yet his beautiful young wife sold herself for his money. As long as there are women willing to prostitute themselves, men will expect it from all women.
8
Sometimes the Best Rehab is a body cast and drinking dinner thru a straw.
6
Mr. Weinstein is 6 feet tall. The walker is not adjusted to his height or he would not be leaning over it. Also, the angle of his arms also show the frame has been manipulated to make him look pathetic. No nurse or physical therapist would be fooled by this. And further would readjust the from to allow for a disabled person (which he is not) to walk safely. Not fooling anyone.
119
@Grace
This PT agrees with your observations!
35
@Mike HW needs a shave too, I suppose that is part of the act.
2
@Grace
So glad you pointed out the mechanics of how this pathetic-looking Weinstein with Walker has been achieved. Really, it‘s so patently contrived it‘s laughable.
2
People are creatures of habit. having known Bill Cosby, who worked with my mother and uncle and myself (briefly) I too ignored signs, preferring to believe that "Uncle Bill" was in fact as we saw him on the Cosby Show. My last encounter screamed pretense and neurotic power mania on his pert; exactly as the women who testified against him patterned his behavior. Weinstein has established a pattern here. I went to school with Bob's (Harvey;'s brother) wife and have been hearing rumors for years. As far as I am concerned, he's done.
20
Weinstein AND his attorney should be ashamed of themselves for exploiting the use of a walker while offending others who truly are dependent upon its use.
I'm shocked that he doesn't have an oxygen tank and mask strapped on as well.
72
A working film director made similar comments to me. Told me he loved me, too. Don't believe any of them. They'll tell you to trust them and they will punish you for your trust.
16
Unfortunately, that is how Hollywood works.
Everyone knows that. Respectable women stay away.
10
@Jonathan Katz Respectable women are everywhere. And they report crimes against themselves.
9
@Jonathan Katz
you are kidding right?
right??
3
What a pig! If the walker is supposed to evoke sympathy, it's not working.
19
@here, there Pigs are sweet and don't behave this way.
12
I can't get over the fact that old Harvey thinks he is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes with that walker.
The Oscar for Best Actor in a Courtroom Drama goes to......
32
What was wrong with this guy, he was obviously a sick twisted man, and why did so many enable him and allow this to continue? How many bright eyed young starlets arrived in Hollywood with big hopes and talent then ran headlong into this sexual predator who took an obscene joy in crushing their spirit through sexual humiliation. Weinstein is only one rung up from the level of an Epstein. These men who only think of there own appetites , these sociopaths , not only are they guilty but so is everyone who helped them, which includes law enforcement officials who looked the other way for too long. Nothing will ever give those young actresses their hopes and dreams back, but let’s hope this is enough to teach the powerful men of Hollywood, Broadway, etc, that though the wheels of justice turn slowly, when they catch up with you, they grind exceedingly fine.
24
@Lonnie Thank you.
2
What is sad is that everyone knows everything that goes on in that small inner sanctum of Hollywood. Everyone knew and no one said anything. Any actor/actress who is righteous about it now and said they did not know what he was doing is most likely not telling the truth.
8
What a charming individual!
3
Amazing the effect sunlight has on insects, isn’t it?
11
I was wondering if he has a reflection in the mirror?
6
How about adding the word ‘some’ before ‘women’ and ‘men’ in your story. Not all women have been sexually harassed and certainly not all men are sexual harassers. Your article implies otherwise.
7
Another case of an ego eclipsing one’s reptilian features and the otherwise completely unsexy dynamics of a professional relationship. It’s work, which means it’s not play, reptile.
7
Just like Trump, Weinstein’s defense is that ALL the women are liars. Every last one. They’re money-grubbing liars. Right.
Why would any woman in her right mind testify to these embarrassing and traumatic encounters unless they were telling the truth? And, I’m imagining that there are many more women who have stayed silent out of shame.
Interesting how Weinstein’s back suddenly went out. It seemed to be working fine when he attacked his prey.
120
After a few dates, I tried to break up with a woman. One month, beginning to end. I had my reasons. I was interested in a long-term relationship. She was not the right person. I hadn’t ‘lured’ her into my world, other than by my good looks and charming ways. She did not take the breakup well.
In a small town, she- in her fifties, educated and with means- chose to broadcast to anyone who would listen, that I was a sexual predator. On a sunny summer day, stopped her vehicle in the middle of a busy street to announce as much as I was walking to a restaurant, for dinner, with friends. My friends looked at me. I said that I didn’t know her. This daily vigil of hers started a few months before the #MeToo movement ramped up to a feverous pitch, and has lasted for, well, into today. A few days of dating and multiple years of looking over my shoulder.
To some, mostly not all, women, when feeling compelled to get their side of a story out to literally anyone who will listen, being brave and the story told may never collide in the same sentence.
11
@Tom
My cousin (a woman) is a divorce lawyer in Europe. She often defends men with stories similar to yours.
@Tom
I am not sure this is the place to tell your story.
Being harassed and slandered is very unpleasant. It is terrible that happened and is happening to you.
I do not agree with your point in telling it in the context of an article about a man who has clearly molested many many women. Where exactly does it fit? I suggest you do more to deal with your harasser instead of using inappropriate situations to air your grievances against women who are perpetrators.
The women telling their situations may not speak in ways you can connect with, still they are telling their experiences in the only way they know how.
I don't like you coming in and distracting from their worse luck with your story.
Best of luck.
5
...and this is how the prison system works.
12
So it took a trial to have it be said, this is the way things are run in that industry. I'm confused,we all new that right. Come on lets all put our big boy pans on,and stop pretending it was not a tit for tat arrangement. Furthermore,as we head out to our next night out to the movies, Let us stop and say a prayer, for the countless number of lives this industry has destroyed in its short history.
Almost seems that theirs something wicked behind all this?
7
@ron dion Thank you.
1
Wasn't he at a comedy club in NYC just last October? Nobody spotted a walker then, did they?
21
My mind goes back to the episode or 2 of the HBO show "Entourage", that featured a scripted version of Harvey. His role didn't deal with sex, but they had burned him on a movie script and they portrayed a similar reaction: "You'll never work in this town again!". The point: People like that NEVER take no for an answer. To quote a country song: "He's not sorry...he's just sorry he got caught.."
14
How could you be offended by Weinstein's inappropriate behaviour yet agree to meet him later? The first "red flag" should be enough to hightail it away from a man like that permanently.
15
Because of psychological dynamics about which many books and articles have been written. Would you like some recommendations, or will your abundant empathy lead you to Google or the library?
14
@Kris Please don't stand in judgement. Read about this heinous behavior to better understand how and why women are trapped by these men.
9
@Grace As per what I have written above, I have been subject to this heinous behaviour myself on countless occasions and had no problem putting an end to it. That is precisely why I am confused as to the difficulty some seem to experience in these situations.
8
Like everyone else commenting here, I don't know for sure whether Harvey is guilty of what he's been accused of.
But, man, I hope he dies in prison.
9
Drop the walker, it’s pathetic.
25
Everybody in the media industry knew Harvey Weinstein was a bully. The stories have been around for years. What we’re hearing about now is how he bullied women. Bullies are about exerting power. Just like rape.
35
Enough about the walker already. It's possible for someone in a wheelchair to sexually assault someone.
14
Weinstein leveraged his great disparate power over women to exploit their vulnerabilities and sexually assault them for his own gratification. It went on for decades and people helped him.
Looking at Weinstein today, in the vein of the Old Testament, eye for an eye, I'm good with women leveraging their now disparate physical power to exploit his vulnerabilities and assault him for their own gratification. And let your assault be as cruel and purposeful as his, hurting things he values most, his money. Face it, his body was never desirable, so grab as much money as you can.
That's karma and justice all wrapped up in one pretty package, with all due respect.
10
If these women are not named complainants then there is a very real chance this is a Molineaux violation which could likely lead to a reversal should he be convicted.
3
I doubt that Houdini could escape the rape tank that Weinstein finds himself in. A real life challenge for his high powered legal team.
1
Oh, just look at poor enfeebled man! How could these women be so cruel with their accusations. Don't they see how helpless he is?
Give me a break. And give HIM a special Oscar for that performance.
16
@J'adoube - Didn’t Harvey star in that tv show “Walker, Texas Ranger?”
4
Does allowing the prosecution to call so many witnesses not specifically related to the charges mean Weinstein will have a strong appeal argument?
2
I've known a bunch of people that have had back surgery. None have used a walker for this long. Just saying.
49
@Olaf S.
The walker is a Hollywood prop to elicit sympathy. Clearly, a NY jury is far too shrewd to fall for that stunt.
24
Why isn't Weinstein's erstwhile staff called to testify in court? They should be able to confirm that the women were lured to Weinstein's hotel with the prospect of acting jobs.
39
@Heleen Mees
I agree. All the current and former staff should be subpoenaed.
One of the articles written years ago, claimed assistants were locked in rooms overnight and forced to sign documents without be allowed to read them or have lawyers reading them.
13
Leave it to an entertainment guy to use any prop in the book to attempt to achieve a dramatic effect out of pure desperation.
40
Hollywood... can't live with it... can easily live without it.
8
My grandma in the 70’s told me that actresses and models where glorified prostitutes and have always been. I was appalled at this assessment and thought how out of touch she was telling me this. Surely she doesn’t now that times have changed. The casting couch is there when powerful men rule which young women are brutalized in order to get work or have their work acknowledged. I guess this doesn’t happen with powerful women who are well connected at birth - may be a spouse or daughter of the elite. What a poor excuse for a human being Weinstein is. Hi is also as attractive as a skin tag.
27
@Ilene Watrous that doesn’t make actresses prostitutes, it means the some powerful movie moguls are predators. You demean the victims of sexual assault by perpetuating the scathing sexist perspective of previous generations.
16
@Ilene Watrous "also as attractive as a skin tag" - best description of Weinstein. Ever.
42
I think Weinstein’s lawyers would be better off cutting a deal, if that’s possible, than trying to debase all these women further. As they said in Henry VIII, you can silence one man, but not a multitude
9
So money should play a factor in this?!
That would send the following message: “This is how it’s done in Hollywood!” —H. W.
3
@Michael Livingston’s The trial is not of debasement of the women; only of Weinstein. It strengthens the women charging this creep by standing up. They have nothing to be ashamed of.
4
Listen to the lyrics little boys are listening to. If their parents and family are not talking to them; lyrics are who they think women are and shapes who they think they must become to be called “men.”
4
Lets not look for other reasons to blame, shall we? There are so many possibilities why some men are the way they are and music is one of the least of them.
4
@Ray T. Except that the article is about Harvey Weinstein, not little boys.
Weinstein tried to blame his behavior on growing up in different times. No, his behavior was never acceptable, he has only himself to blame.
Trump claimed his comments were just locker room talk, gutter talk is more like it, real men don't talk like that. He can own his disgusting behavior, no reason to spread or diffuse the blame, he alone is responsible for his actions.
And the little boys who grow up to one day blame some lyrics of a song, they too will have to own up to and be responsible for their own actions.
14
I hope he brings down the Hollywood Cesspool. The same institution that dares tells us how to live and what's right and wrong. Hes not alone or an aberration.
8
Read “Catch and Kill” by Ronan Farrow.
36
I think there should be a cease & desist on showing pictures of him in that walker.
36
@Matt
He is delusional if he honestly believes anyone is buying that shtick. He is truly insulting those individuals who actually need a walker to get around. I'll bet he even has a handicap placard for parking.
16
This is how justice works, Harvey.
Your sexual assault and rape victims courageously report you to the police.
Investigators investigate your victims' claims of sexual assault and rape and gather evidence.
Prosecutors indict you based on the credible evidence obtained.
A trial is held in a court of law and the evidence is presented and witnesses and victims of your crimes testify about your crimes against you humanity.
A jury of citizens listens to the evidence and testimony and reaches a verdict as to your guilt.
Then you go to prison where you belong....for a very long time....and society becomes a much better place without you in it....and the people you terrorized gain a tiny measure of peace.
Lock him up.
113
@Socrates
And it's a tale which will, eventually, be adopted for film. Produced and directed by women.
11
@Socrates Wonderful response!
4
Wonder how long it will take “Keyser Soze” Weinstein to drop the schtick once the trial is over.
13
Guys like Weinstein and Trump get their energy from having power and using that power to bully and control people. Their patterns of sexual abuse fit right into that paradigm. “When you’re a star they let you do it”. Their motto is ‘ with great power comes great entitlement “.
My question is, where are all the people in the movie industry that knew this was going on, that enabled it, even arranged these trysts for Weinstein? Shouldn’t they be held to account as well?
91
Between Weinstein, Cosby and Manafort impending prison just causes the body to fall apart. Things that make you go "Hmmmm"
21
This is how the lock on your cell door works, Harvey.
Enjoy.
19
The walker photo has been bugging me. Would Harvey be using that walker if he were chasing a starlet around a hotel bedroom? Call me skeptical....
20
Love that walker!
"Oh, he's so feeble. He couldn't POSSIBLY have raped all those women! He can barely walk! And he's been like that his entire life!"
Who falls for any of this patently absurd stagecraft? Bueller?
60
Perhaps Mr. Weinstein and his team think this walker makes him appear weak and pitiable. But as someone with back problems, he is ill-advisedly putting himself in a kyphotic (hunchback) position and should invest in a walker that puts him upright.
31
@trenton - thank you for pointing that out. When my elderly father had to use a walker, he had rehab people instructing him to stay INSIDE the walker. They instructed him over and over, while watching him walk. I doubt old Harvey had any instruction, rehab or physical therapists, otherwise he wouldn’t be using his walker that way. This is a prop, pure and simple.
33
The walker is fake theatrics. He should be wearing leg irons and an orange jump suit.
71
I can't help but notice how so many of these women threw caution to the wind, ignored their inner voices and put themselves into situations that they clearly would have recognized as bad if they were a disinterested 3rd party.
In many ways I can't help contrasting this to the otherwise upstanding conservatives whose ambition put themselves into the Trump orbit. Only in the end did they realize the price they were willing to pay for their ambition was just too high.
25
"This Is How the Industry Works."
Well, say what you will, but the man's right.
21
The point is it shouldn’t
16
@Rennata Wilson
And Harvey, this is how the legal system works.
25
@Rennata Wilson I like the "how the industry works" part where he winds up in court, using a walker (!), and going to jail.
6
The walker is just a prop.
If he'd ever needed it, he would know that you start with the walker around you (not in front of you).
Go directly to jail.
97
@T Raymond Anthony People have seen him using a walker or severely mobility impaired for a year.
1
@wayne griswald Incorrect. Not a year. He claims his back injury happened during a car accident in August. And he was not spotted using a walker until after his very recent back surgery. Conveniently right before the trial.
4
So I see Weinstein is back to using a walker.
I think it's a lame reach on his part to possibly garner sympathy or empathy from the jurors.
42
“He got really angry and started screaming at me, ‘You’ll never make it in this business. This is how the industry works. This is how all the great actresses made it,’” she said.
Just look up the words “casting couch” to see he was probably right.....and, of course, so very wrong.
This goes on in all areas of business...the powerful preying on both men and women. The only good part is that this is now being exposed for the cruelty it is.
68
Somebody should grab Harvey and stand him up straight, let him go and see if he can really walk without that stroller he suddenly needs while facing trial.
155
@Mike C. This guy walks straight. I've never been more certain of anything in my life.
19
@Mike C. I'm wondering if he attached those little tennis ball halves to the bottom of the walker. Bright orange in color.
22
Yes, and it will be like Kevin Spacey’s character, Keyes Soze in The Usual Suspects... “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that...(cue music) he was gone.”
24