Last week, the New York Times published an exposé on Harvey Weinstein and the decades of sexual harassment allegations against him. The piece was built on interviews with eight women who described harassment to varying degrees; the New Yorker piece that was released this morning featured interviews with thirteen. Both also detailed a long history of similar behavior, abetted by his assistants and others in his company. Following the Times piece, many high-profile figures have come forward with their own stories about him, or to condemn his actions. We’ve compiled a list, in their own words.
“I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades. The additional allegations of assault that I read this morning made me sick. This is completely unacceptable, and I find myself asking what I can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to others. We need to do better at protecting our sisters, friends, co-workers and daughters. We must support those who come forward, condemn this type of behavior when we see it and help ensure there are more women in positions of power.”
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“What Harvey Weinstein did was abhorrent. He admits he did it. Why should anyone be silent in their disgust and support for his victims?”
In an interview with The New Yorker, Argento spoke about how Weinstein sexually assaulted her, and of her fear of speaking out, saying, “I know he has crushed a lot of people before [...] That’s why this story—in my case, it’s twenty years old, some of them are older—has never come out.”
The same New Yorker piece featured an interview with actress Rosanna Arquette as well, who said that her own silence regarding Weinstein and his advances was due to his influence and reputation for crushing those who spoke against him. “He’s going to be working very hard to track people down and silence people,” she said in the piece. “To hurt people. That’s what he does.”
“Can we use the word ‘rapist’ now? #Weinstein”
“I was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein. The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior.”
“I’ve heard rumors, and the rumors in general started back in the ’90s, and they were that certain actresses had slept with Harvey to get a role. It seemed like a way to smear the actresses and demean them by saying that they didn’t get the jobs based on their talent, so I took those rumors with a grain of salt. But the other part of this, the part we’re hearing now about eight women being paid off, I didn’t hear anything about that and I don’t know anyone that did. That’s a whole other level and there’s no way you can reconcile that. There’s nothing to say except that it’s indefensible.”
“I’m sitting here, deeply upset, acknowledging to myself that, yes, for many years, I have been aware of the vague rumors that Harvey Weinstein had a pattern of behaving inappropriately around women. Harvey has always been decent to me, but now that the rumors are being substantiated, I feel angry and darkly sad. [...] No one should be coerced into trading personal dignity for professional success. I feel the time is long and tragically overdue for all of us in the industry, women and men, to unite — calmly and dispassionately — and create a new culture of respect, equality and empowerment, where bullies and their enablers are no longer allowed to prosper.”
“This is monstrous behavior that in a just world would not have been allowed to go on for decades. It is indefensible.”
“I was warned from the beginning. The stories were everywhere. To deny that is to create an environment for it to happen again.”
“If there was ever an event that I was at and Harvey was doing this kind of thing and I didn’t see it, then I am so deeply sorry, because I would have stopped it. And I will peel my eyes back now, farther than I ever have, to look for this type of behavior. Because we know that it happens. I feel horrible for these women and it’s wonderful they have this incredible courage and are standing up now.”
"This whole thing with Harvey Weinstein is giving me PTSD. Why? Because this kind of thing happened to ME. [...] I decided not 2 take it further becuz I didn’t want 2b ostracized— par 4 the course when the predator has power n influence. I let it go. And I understand why many women who this happens to let it go. [...] I understand and empathize with those who have remained silent."
De Caunes spoke with The New Yorker about having suffered harassment from Weinstein and addressed the industry’s attitude about his behavior. “I know that everybody—I mean everybody—in Hollywood knows that it’s happening,” she said. “But everyone’s too scared to say anything.”
“Whilst there is no doubt that Harvey Weinstein has helped and championed my film career for the past 20 years, I was completely unaware of these offenses which are, of course, horrifying, and I offer my sympathy to those who have suffered, and wholehearted support to those who have spoken out.”
“The entire Weinstein Company board should resign. Fuck these people.”
“In the fall of 2016, I performed at a benefit for Hillary Clinton organized by the Weinstein Company. I had heard the rumors. I felt that going onstage under his aegis was a betrayal of my own values. But I wanted so desperately to support my candidate that I made a calculation. We’ve all made calculations, and saying we’re sorry about those calculations is not an act of cowardice. It’s an essential change of position that could shift the way we do business and the way women regard their own position in the workplace. I’m sorry I shook the hand of someone I knew was not a friend to women in my industry.”
“There is no excuse for monsters like Harvey Weinstein. It's up to all of us, men and women, to speak up against sexual harassment and abuse.”
“My heart breaks for everyone who was hurt by this man. As a actor, a human & a feminist I am standing in support. Always have. Always will.”
“This abuse of power must be called out, however powerful the abuser, and we must publicly stand with those brave enough to come forward.”
“Like every other woman in the industry, I’ve had an ‘audition’ with Harvey Weinstein, where I’d actually already had the audition but you had to be personally approved by him, so I had to go to his hotel room in the Savoy, and he answered the door in his bathrobe. I was only 18. I felt violated by it, it has stayed very clearly in my memory. [...] The point was that he could get a young woman to do that, that I didn’t have a choice, that it was humiliating for me and that he had the power. It was an abuse of power.”
In an interview with the New York Times, Godrèche recalled being told by a female Miramax executive not to say anything about the way Weinstein had harassed her because it hurt the film’s release. “This is Miramax. You can’t say anything.”
“The Weinstein thing is just fucking unbelievable but I’m not afraid to say anything because I don’t appear in movies ever and no one will ever put me in one. That guy seems to be what’s called a rapist. I’m using it as a broad term. There’s a lot of them and they are everywhere. So it’s time we started to fucking look out for each other because this shit has been going on for way too long.”
“Horrid. Disgusting. Good riddance.”
“Yesterday, I tweeted that if even 1/10 of the stories about Harvey Weinstein are true, and I believe they are, then good fucking riddance. Fuck him and everyone who enabled him to get away with such behavior. The tweets got a lot of news coverage and I got a lot of responses. One of the primary responses was that sexual predation is a terrible problem... for Hollywood. Well, yes, that’s true. Sexual predation is rife in Hollywood. But it’s also rife EVERYWHERE.”
“I wholeheartedly stand behind the women who are coming out and saying what they’re saying now, it’s incredibly hard to do that, and the idea that it could be in any way for their gains is preposterous. I think what’s going to happen in the next couple of days is interesting and I think [Weinstein] deserves what is coming. It’s indefensible how he’s behaved, it is. I think it’s inexcusable, and I am behind those women.”
“I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did. This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.”
“I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and [Weinstein] always came back at me with some new ask. It was all this bargaining, this coercive bargaining. [...] There’s a lot on the line, the cachet that came with Miramax.”
“H Weinstein -yikes! Disgusting and creepy. So is ‘leader of the free world’ btw”
“I was deeply disturbed to hear the news about Harvey Weinstein’s behavior. I worked with Harvey five years ago and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting.”
“The men of Hollywood need to know they own no woman. The days of Entourage-like behavior and thinking is as dated as your largely bro nature. I’m calling on the board to resign effective immediately, and for other men to stop other men when they are being disgusting.”
“I'm as appalled and repulsed by the Weinstein news as anyone with a beating heart. And forever in awe of the bravery of those who spoke out.”
“I am angry and disgusted about Harvey Weinstein’s abuse of power and his shameless assaults against women. This kind of abuse of women is grossly familiar, and for many of us, it’s hard to muster up surprise. I feel deeply for the women who had to deal with and navigate his incredibly entitled, bullying, revolting and inexcusable behavior. I am grateful to them and applaud their bravery in speaking out.”
“‘I came of age in the '60s and '70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then. I have since learned it's not an excuse, in the office — or out of it. To anyone.’ Yeah, you’re right — your excuse isn't an excuse. In fact, it isn't even an excuse for that behavior in the ’60s.”
Speaking to the New York Times, Paltrow recalled an incident when she was 22 years old and Weinstein summoned her to his hotel. She had been under the impression that it would be a work meeting, but was soon prompted by Weinstein to give him a massage. “I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,” she said, also noting that she told her boyfriend at the time, Brad Pitt, who has yet to comment beyond confirming Paltrow’s story.
“I believe all the women coming forward about Harvey Weinstein's sexual harassment. It takes bravery to do so.”
“The “old dinosaur” explanation doesn’t cut it. DECADES of using power to intimidate women for sexual gain is reprehensible and inexcusable.”
“To be clear what Harvey Weinstein did was a disgusting abuse of power and horrible. I hope we are now seeing the beginning of the end of these abuses.”
Speaking to Business Insider while promoting his new film, Serkis said that there was “no excuse” for this kind of behavior, and when asked if he’d ever consider working with Weinstein in the future, said he would not.
“[Weinstein] financed the first 14 years of my career - and now I know while I was profiting, others were in terrible pain. It makes me feel ashamed.”
Speaking with The New Yorker, Sorvino echoed the stories of other women who have come forward in that she said “no” to Weinstein multiple times, to no avail. She also said that she struggled with whether or not to come forward because she thought her experience with Weinstein was mild compared to the experiences of others.
“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. [...] 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.”
“Heed the mantra and never forget: Women. Have. Nothing. To. Gain. And. Everything. To Lose. By. Coming. Forward. Stand with @AshleyJudd or give your legs to someone else. What she and others have just done is painful and difficult and triumphant.”
“Weinstein's defense: he says he needs help and therapy, then his lawyers attack his accusers as liars. Not contrition. Continued Sociopathy.”
“Let's be clear. What Harvey Weinstein did to those women was nothing short of abuse. I am disturbed, and disgusted. It's appalling. Let's be clear. What Harvey Weinstein did to those women was nothing short of abuse. I am disturbed, and disgusted. It's appalling. The victim blaming needs to stop. As does the shaming of women who didn't come forward earlier. They spoke, and we are here to listen.”
“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. The way Harvey Weinstein has treated these vulnerable, talented young women is NOT the way women should ever EVER deem to be acceptable or commonplace in ANY workplace.”
“Man, this is all kinds of wrong. Zero accountability [for Weinstein] until now.”
“[Weinstein’s behavior] is sick & disgusting & actually evil. Bravo to the courageous women & the (few) men brave enough to speak out”
“In all the discussion re: Weinstein, not seeing enough about *how* & *why* a predator can fly under the radar in an industry for so long. Sexual harassment being rampant in our industry--being the undertow, the room tone--provides camouflage for the worst kinds of behavior. He may be a monster but he's not a ‘lone wolf.’ There's a whole system that enables, tacitly endorses & disguises his behavior as acceptable. I hope holding him accountable brings about change. But that only happens if we don't act like he's the exception, when he's an exemplar.”
"I think women AND men in our profession should b condemning @HarveyWeinstein s hideous and predatory behavior I do.Silence: unacceptable."
"In light of the revelations about Harvey Weinstein in the past few days, I feel it necessary to add my support for the women who have been victimized and have been brave enough to talk about it. While I never experienced any abuse while working with Harvey, I think it’s important to add my voice to those of women everywhere who have experienced abuse at the hands of powerful men."
"In the early 2000s Harvey Weinstein called me into his office. There was a pile of scripts sitting on his desk. “I want to put you in one of my movies,” he said and offered to let me choose which one I liked best. Later in the conversation, he mentioned that he had an agreement with his wife. He could sleep with whomever he wanted when he was out of town. I walked out of the meeting feeling uneasy. There was no explicit mention that to star in one of those films I had to sleep with him, but the subtext was there. [...] If I had spoken up a decade ago, would I have saved countless women from the same experience I had or worse?"
“The predator wants your silence. It feeds their power, entitlement AND they want it to feed your shame. Our bodies are not the ‘spoils of war’… a trophy to be collected to fuel your ego,” she went on. “It’s OURS!!! It doesn’t belong to you!! And when you take it without permission, it DESTROYS…… like a virus!!! To the predators.. Weinstein, the stranger, the relative, the boyfriend…. I say to you, ‘You can choose your sin but you don’t get to choose the consequences.’ To the victims…. I see you. I believe you… and I’m listening.”
