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harvey weinstein

"It’s not just actresses. It’s teachers; it’s lawyers," so said Keira Knightley when discussing the pervasive nature of sexual violence and harassment during a recent interview with Variety.

While discussing the fall-out from the Weinstein scandal, the British actress, who shares one child with husband James Righton, was eager to highlight the fact that harassment of this nature is not unique to certain circles.

Keira, who worked with Weinstein on The Imitation Game and Begin Again, confirmed that her relationship with the director was never anything but professional, insisting: "He certainly never asked me for massages or anything like that."

However, the 32-year-old wasn't fortunate enough to escape the unwanted attention of other men over the course of her life, and stresses that it's something most women will have experienced, asserting: "I think everyone has battled their fair share of monsters."

"I’m fortunate that I’ve never been sexually abused professionally or harassed on a film set, but in my personal life, when I’ve been in bars, I can count four times when I’ve been what I’d say was assaulted in a minor way," she revealed.

Eager to clarify her remark, Keira added: "I’m not talking about rape, but I’m talking about the people who had been grabbed in pubs or their breasts had been fondled by somebody they didn’t know or they’d had someone shove a hand up their skirt."

The #MeToo and #TimesUp campaign have been making strides in their attempts to give a voice to the marginalised and those who have been the victim of sexual harassment or assault.

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Following a rousing speech at Sunday night's Golden Globes Awards which sought to highlight the importance of giving a voice to the marginalised, Oprah Winfrey has found herself at the centre of much discussion this week.

"I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon!" Oprah told viewers.

"And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say "Me too" again."

While many felt Oprah's speech reflected her devotion to social movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp as well as a desire to run for president in the 2020 campaign, others weren't quite as impressed.

Heidi Klum's ex-husband, Seal, took to Instagram this week to vocalise his disdain for Oprah, suggesting that her speech was nothing more than a bombastic attempt to conceal the fact she was always aware of Harvey Weinstein's predations.

Seal uploaded two images of the star in the company of Weinstein with a caption which read: "When you have been part of the problem for decades, but suddenly they all think you are the solution."

"Oh I forgot, that's right…..you'd heard the rumours but you had no idea he was actually serially assaulting young stary-eyed actresses who in turn had no idea what they were getting into," Seal added. "My bad. #SanctimoniousHollywood."

Seal's post was, unsurprisingly, met with a mixed response, with some followers agreeing with the singer and others questioning Seal's own past.

"So tired of celebrities spinning things to make them look good! If she knew years ago she should have stepped up and been a true icon," agreed one Instagram user.

"Everybody in Hollywood posed in pics with this monster. Like we haven’t heard things about you. Ugh. The nerve," wrote one follower – a sentiment which was echoed by model Chrissy Teigen.

"Hmm. Let’s just say we’ve all heard things about each other, haven’t we?” Chrissy wrote.

Last night, Seal returned to Instagram to defend his decision to post the message about Oprah and went on to clarify his stance on the situation.

 

#TellTheTruth for full length go to my Facebook page&

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Seal's latest post has been met with further mixed reaction.

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As more and more of Harvey Weinstein's victims found the courage to come forward, more and more families were left reeling by revelations which detailed the abuse their loved ones endured at the hands of the now disgraced movie mogul.

Coming to terms with the fact a woman in your life was the victim of a sexual crime is hugely harrowing – something Mira Sorvino's father articulated during a recent interview with TMZ.

Mira, who starred in Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion star alongside Lisa Kudrow, found herself blacklisted by Weinstein when she rebuffed his sexual advances – an experience she detailed in an article for Time.

The actress, who won an Oscar for her role in Mighty Aphrodite, was reportedly sexually harassed by Weinstein on a number of occasions – a revelation which has devastated her father, Paul Sorvino.

After being asked for his opinion on Weinstein's alleged campaign against Mira, Paul, an actor whose own career has spanned five decades, said “If I were to answer you, I might put everybody in jeopardy."

"But if I meet Harvey Weinstein on the street, he better, he ought to hope that he goes to jail because if we come across, I think he’ll be lying on the floor somehow. Magically.”

"Good for for him if he goes to jail because if not, he has to meet me. And I’ll kill the motherf*cker.”

Mira's account was first featured in Ronan Farrow's landmark exposé for the New Yorker in October last year.

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Meryl Streep has become the target of a new street art campaign in Los Angeles after she denied knowledge of any alleged incidents of sexual misconduct involving Harvey Weinstein.

A number of posters showing the actress smiling alongside the disgraced producer have appeared across the city.

Covering her eyes is a red banner displaying a very clear message – “She knew.”

The poster campaign was launched just one day after the 68-year-old released a statement claiming that she “did not know about Weinstein’s crimes.”

“I wasn’t deliberately silent. I didn’t know. I don’t tacitly approve of rape. I didn’t know. I don’t like young women being assaulted. I didn’t know this was happening,” she told Fox News.

The statement came after Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan, criticised the actress after she revealed she would be wearing black to the upcoming Golden Globes as a silent protest against sexual misconduct in the industry.

“Actresses, like Meryl Streep, who happily worked for The Pig Monster, are wearing black @GoldenGlobes in a silent protest,” McGowan said in a now-deleted tweet.

“YOUR SILENCE is THE problem. You’ll accept a fake award breathlessly & affect no real change. I despise your hypocrisy.

The campaign has sparked a huge reaction from Twitter users: 

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A newly commissioned BBC project promises to provide viewers with the “definitive” account of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The feature length documentary will look at the disgraced producer's journey to the top of the entertainment industry and his subsequent fall from glory following a series of sexual assault allegations.

According to Variety, the 90-minute documentary will feature interviews from some of the actresses who have accused the producer of sexual misconduct as well, journalists, directors, actors and lawyers.

It's understood that some of the interviewees will be speaking publicly for the first time.

The Oscar-winning Simon Chinn is lined up to produce the doc, and although it will be shown on the BBC, it is hoped that the feature will also have a theatrical release, allowing it to qualify for both Academy Award and BAFTA nominations.

Speaking to Variety, Simon explained what drew him to the story: “As a little bit of an [industry] insider, I was fascinated with the story as it unfolded and not a little shocked.”

“As much as people knew a lot about Harvey and his reputation, there was plenty that we didn’t know.”

BBC's Tom McDonald says viewers can expect a film that will “ask difficult and challenging questions about complicity, the price of silence and the corrosive effects of power.”

“As well as revealing the inside story of the past few months in minute detail, it will also look to the past to tell the story of abuses of power within Hollywood since its very origins and chart the rise of Harvey Weinstein himself over many decades.”

According to report, Weinstein will take most of 2018 to produce, making a 2019 release likely.

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Rose McGowan has taken to Twitter to hit out at fellow actress Meryl Streep, accusing her of playing down the allegations made against disgraced Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein. 

Rose, who was one of the first stars to come forward in the scandal, took issue with the way Meryl spoke about the situation after she branded it as "the most gargantuan example of disrespect," in a recent interview for USA Today

The actress felt that Meryl's choice of words did not accurately represent the severity of Weinstein's actions. 

"No, Meryl, IT’S A F***ING CRIME. You are such a lie # ROSEARMY Meryl Streep on Harvey Weinstein allegations: It's 'the most gargantuan example of disrespect' – USA TODAY," she wrote. 

Meryl is by no means the first female star to be criticised for not speaking up.

Rose previously slammed the women of Hollywood for not condemning his crimes, saying their "silence is defening." 

However, many of Rose's followers seem to think she may have jumped the gun on this one, with many encouraging the actress the re-read the article and check her sources. 

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As more and more stories emerged regarding Harvey Weinstein's abhorrent treatment of women and repugnant abuse of power within the entertainment industry, more and more stars admitted that they had always been aware, on some level, of Weinstein's predations.

From whispered warnings to mumbled utterances, it seems Weinstein's criminal behaviour was Hollywood's best kept secret.

However, this perspective may be somewhat skewed if recent remarks made by Jennifer Lawrence are anything to go by.

While acknowledging Weinstein's formidable reputation within the industry, Jennifer insisted that his crimes came as a total shock when accusations were made public in recent months.

"Just speaking for myself, I had known him since I was 20, and he had only ever been nice to me – except for the moments that he wasn’t, and then I called him an a-hole, and we moved on," she told Oprah Winfrey in the Hollywood Reporter.

As those in Hollywood's inner circle mobilised to speak out against the culture of misogyny in the entertainment industry, Jennifer admitted she couldn't speak out until she had processed the revelations.

"There was this moment when all of this broke out and everybody was silent, and then all of a sudden, every actress’ Twitter was blowing up with, ‘You need to come forward and you need to say something and you need to condemn!’ Which is true: We do have a responsibility to say something; we’ve all worked with him, but everybody needed a moment."

"I didn’t know that he was a rapist. And it’s so widespread, the abuse, from so many different people — it’s directors, it’s producers — that I think everybody needed to [process it]. Everybody needs to deal with this in their own way; everybody needs to heal.”

Jennifer said she struggled to reconcile the man she knew with the man who was being written about in the papers, and while she acknowledged his professional shortcomings, she could not conceive of his alleged crimes.

"He was paternal to me," Jennifer said. "So I needed a moment to process everything because I thought I knew this guy, and then he’s being accused of rape. We all knew he was a dog, we knew that he was a … tough guy, a brute, a tough guy to negotiate with."

Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment, assault and rape by numerous women over the course of a number of years.

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An arrest warrant has been issued for actress Rose McGowan after items she left behind at Washing Dulles International Airport tested positive for narcotics.

According to reports, Washington Police say the warrant was obtained on February 1 of this year, and insist they have made efforts to reach out to the actress before now.

It's not clear when the actress became aware of the warrant, though some think the timing of the news is suspicious given that the actress was one of the leading voices in the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Taking to Twitter, Rose suggested the warrant was an attempt to silence her.

“Are they trying to silence me?” she wrote on her page.

“There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSESH**.”

The actress is just one of 60 women in the film industry to accuse the producer of rape and sexual harassment.

Weinstein has unequivocally denied all allegations made against him, however, The New York Times recently reported that he made a $100,000 settlement to Rose in 1997, which included a clause against speaking about it publicly.

He is currently under investigation by both the Met and US police though no charges have yet been made. 

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Over the course of the last three weeks, news reports detailing Harvey Weinstein's alleged conduct within the entertainment industry have been increasing at an alarming rate.

The vast majority of stories have, in many ways, implicated the individuals employed by the movie mogul, while others assert that Weinstein's behaviour was Hollywood's worst-kept secret.

Indeed, a number of high-profile names have admitted they heard whisperings over the course of their career, but insist they were utterly oblivious to the extent of Weinstein's alleged actions.

Weighing in on the subject, it appears George Clooney is keen for all those who were complicit in the cover-up to be held accountable.

"Somebody knew. There were people that brought young actresses to his hotel room," the 56-year-old actor argued while appearing on Today.

"Whoever had that story and didn't write it, should be responsible. I want to know what kind of ad dollars were spent from the Weinstein Company and Miramax," he added.

The Ocean's Eleven star acknowledged that while he was aware of Weinstein' extra-marital affairs, the information was provided by Weinstein himself, and didn't lead George to believe that crimes were beng committed.

"Most of the rumours I knew, were from Harvey himself. I had an affair with in actress or that actress," he explained.

"We should have known this. This is violating women. This is assault. This is – this is silencing women."

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Harvey Weinstein's former assistant has broken her silence to claim that she too was sexually assaulted by the disgraced Hollywood producer.

According to Sky News, Zelda Perkins previously worked for Miramax productions where she assisted Weinstein in 1998.

She claims that she was a victim of Weinstein's, who then formatted a £250,000 non-disclosure agreement with Zelda and a second woman.

 

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She says the NDA was formed almost 20 years ago in October of 1998.

'I often had to wake him up in the hotel in the mornings and he would try to pull me into bed,' she told The Financial Times.

She also said that Weinstein asked her to administer massages while he was in underwear.

 

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Zelda is choosing to break the NDA to speak out, putting herself at risk of legal action.

Weinstein is currently being investigated for numerous accusations of sexual assault, rape, and inappropriate behaviour.

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Lupita Nyong’o' is just one in an alarming number of high-profile women who have come forward with allegations against Harvey Weinstein in recent days.

And while the allegations – all of which display an unsettling number of similarities – mount, Harvey Weinstein has, on the whole, maintained a deafening silence.

However, Lupita's lengthy op-ed in The New York Times – a piece which details her various encounters with the movie mogul – was one of the few allegations to spark a response from the once highly-regarded producer.

In the piece, the 12 Years a Slave actress recalls one particular meeting with the producer which took place in his family home.

After being cajoled away from the people present, Weinstein suggested performing a massage on the Oscar-winner – a suggestion which Lupita found disturbing.

"For the first time since I met him, I felt unsafe," she remembered. "I panicked a little and thought quickly to offer to give him one instead: It would allow me to be in control physically, to know exactly where his hands were at all times."

"Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants,” she wrote. “I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that."

This incident was couched by encounters which left Lupita in no doubt of the producer's influence in Hollywood.

During one meeting over dinner, Lupita recalls Weinstein saying: ‘Let’s cut to the chase. I have a private room upstairs where we can have the rest of our meal.’I was stunned. I told him I preferred to eat in the restaurant."

"He told me not to be so naïve. If I wanted to be an actress, then I had to be willing to do this sort of thing. He said he had dated Famous Actress X and Y and look where that had gotten them."

After explaining that she abruptly called the meeting to a close, Lupita says the next time she encountered Weinstein was at an after-party for 12 Years a Slave where the producer apologised for his conduct.

"He was ashamed of his actions and he promised to respect me moving forward," Lupita wrote. "I said thank you and left it at that. But I made a quiet promise to myself to never ever work with Harvey Weinstein."

Lupita's op-ed has been contradicted by Weinstein, who issued a statement through his representative, which not only denies the claims, but seeks to highlight Lupita's supposed admiration of the now disgraced Hollywood heavy-hitter.

"Mr. Weinstein has a different recollection of the events, but believes Lupita is a brilliant actress and a major force for the industry," reads the statement. "Last year, she sent a personal invitation to Mr. Weinstein to see her in her Broadway show Eclipsed."

Lupita is one of just two actresses Weinstein has responded to, having previously denied wrongdoing against Ashley Judd.

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As more and more allegations against Harvey Weinstein are made public, the people responsible for contributing to Hollywood's misogyny in recent decades are being forced to justify their actions.

Given the sheer number of actresses, reporters and television hosts who are coming forward to share their own stories of harassment and assault, it's no surprise that the entertainment industry is being viewed in a very different light by the general public.

One journalist is, however, keen to remind the public that while the likes of Harvey Weinstein do indeed exist, there are other high-profile men who truly understand the vulnerability women in the industry feel.

Film reviewer, Nell Minow, insists that not only do many men choose not to exploit the women they encounter, but they endeavour to protect them.

Speaking to James Warren of Poynter.org, Nell recalled an encounter with David Schwimmer, which she feel speaks to a more positive aspect of the entertainment industry.

While interviewing the former Friends star in 2011, David suggested they take their meeting from the hotel restaurant to his hotel bedroom due to the dining room's noise level.

Nell recalls David immediately offering to provide a third person in the form of a chaperone to ensure his interviewer's comfort.

"I haven’t thought of that since it happened but the Weinstein stories made me not just remember it but remember it in an entirely different context as an indicator of the prevalence of predatory behaviour and as an indicator of Schwimmer’s integrity and sensitivity," Nell said this week.

Nell is keen to stress the significance of the actor's words by explaining that his approach meant he instinctively knew how women in the industry are treated, and was keen to protect them.

"This wasn’t just about his being a good guy who would not have tried anything. He understood what it is like to have to be constantly on the alert and he wanted to make sure I understood I was safe."

Nell added: "I just want to say thank you. And, also, your movie was very good."

While some Twitter users have dismissed Nell's story, arguing that men should not be praised for not assaulting women, others insist David's attitude displayed a level of understanding not exhibited by many men in the industry.

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