Harvey Weinstein employees sound off in statement

By Tribute on October 20, 2017 | 4 Comments


Harvey WeinsteinIt’s been a difficult road for everyone who’s come into contact with disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein since The New York Times and The New Yorker leaked bombshell allegations that Weinstein is a sexual predator a couple weeks ago.

While he’s clearly had a notorious reputation in the industry for being a hot-headed womanizer, for some, news that he’s an alleged rapist has come as a shock.

In addition to the many celebs that have come forward to tell their stories of Weinstein’s unwanted sexual advances, Miramax and The Weinstein Company employees have penned their own response to the recent scandal, which was published by The New Yorker.

The statement partly reads, “We all knew that we were working for a man with an infamous temper. We did not know we were working for a serial sexual predator. We knew that our boss could be manipulative. We did not know that he used his power to systematically assault and silence women. We had an idea that he was a womanizer who had extra-marital affairs. We did not know he was a violent aggressor and alleged rapist. But to say that we are shocked and surprised only makes us part of the problem.”

Speaking of employees being part of the problem, many probably wonder who were Weinstein’s assistants who are so often mentioned in victims’ stories — the ones who baited the women into entering his hotel room, then quietly slipped out the door. While they’ve yet to be named, the authors of this statement claim none of them “knowingly acted as a so-called ‘honeypot,'” citing, “That is disgusting and renders us all victims of Harvey’s disgraceful behavior.”

None of the authors of the statement name themselves, and they also mention the fact that the statement is in breach of their Non-Disclosure Agreements, but they also reference the fact that Weinstein breached his contract with them as well in his inability to “create a safe place for us to work.”

Many ask what’s next for the company? It’s a question the employees have as well. Here’s what they propose: “If there is a future for this company, it must be one of radical transparency and accountability. And for that to happen, anyone who had specific knowledge of non-consensual, predatory behavior must go. That is the only way anyone will feel comfortable working with us. It is the only way any of us will feel comfortable working here.”

Couldn’t agree more. You can read the full statement below. ~Alexa Caruso

Statement from Members of the Weinstein Company Staff

We came to work at this company because we love movies. We grew up watching Miramax
films, and came to associate that name, and later the name Weinstein, with great storytelling.
Some of us have been here for years, others for just for a few months. Some have been here
since their first college internship, others joined the team after a rigorous application process. All
of us were excited to get the job, proud to be working for a company with such an illustrious
history.

We all knew that we were working for a man with an infamous temper. We did not know we
were working for a serial sexual predator. We knew that our boss could be manipulative. We did
not know that he used his power to systematically assault and silence women. We had an idea
that he was a womanizer who had extra-marital affairs. We did not know he was a violent
aggressor and alleged rapist.

But to say that we are shocked and surprised only makes us part of the problem.
Our company was built on Harvey’s unbridled ambition – his aggressive deal making, his
insatiable desire to win and get what he wanted, his unabashed love for celebrity – these traits
were legendary, and the art they produced made an indelible mark on the entertainment
industry.

But we now know that behind closed doors, these were the same traits that made him a
monster. He created a toxic ecosystem where his abuse could flourish unchecked for decades.
We know that in writing this we are in open breach of the non-disclosure agreements in our
contracts. But our former boss is in open violation of his contract with us – the employees – to
create a safe place for us to work.

We have nothing to hide, and are as angry and baffled as you are at how Harvey’s behavior
could continue for so long. We ask that the company let us out of our NDAs immediately – and
do the same for all former Weinstein Company employees – so we may speak openly, and get
to the origins of what happened here, and how.

We unequivocally support all the women who have come forward, many of whom we count
among our own friends and colleagues. Thank you for speaking out. When the New York Times
and The New Yorker articles broke, we wept. We see you, we admire you, and we are in this
fight alongside you.

And while we can only speak for the people represented in this statement, none of us ever
knowingly acted as a so-called “honeypot”. That is disgusting and renders us all victims of
Harvey’s disgraceful behavior.

Practically none of us have ever met the board. Aside from Bob Weinstein, few of us even knew
their names before last week. If the board’s job was to keep Harvey in check, financially and
otherwise, they failed.

As we begin the painful process of reflecting on our industry and the ugly systems we’ve
wrought and let thrive, we are asking ourselves the question: how do we define abuse? Do we
include verbal degradation, ruthless aggression and physical intimidation? This particular horror
show centers on a sexual predator who abused his power in a very specific way. But if we’re being honest (and if not now, when?) we all know that threatening, hostile, inhumane work environments are rampant in our industry.

Non-disclosure agreements only perpetuate this culture of silence. The “if you can’t stand the
heat, get out of the kitchen” mentality undermines those who might’ve spoken out. We treat
these abusive people and places as rites of passage, instead of with the disgust they deserve.
Harvey Weinstein is far from the only sociopathic bully we’ve exalted over the years. Employees
who work under our industry’s most notorious bosses are regularly asked to surrender their
dignity in exchange for professional success.

So now that Harvey is gone, what next? If there is a future for this company, it must be one of
radical transparency and accountability. And for that to happen, anyone who had specific
knowledge of non-consensual, predatory behavior must go. That is the only way anyone will feel
comfortable working with us. It is the only way any of us will feel comfortable working here.
To those speaking out, and to those fearlessly reporting: we are so grateful for your courage.
Right now, we want to listen hard and keep listening, no matter how unsettling or overwhelming
these stories are. But after that we must start to ask hard questions of our industry, so we may
do right not only by Harvey’s many victims, but also by young film lovers who, like all of us, just
want to work in movies.
– Select Members of The Weinstein Company Staff



Comments & Discussion

  1. Samantha • October 20, 2017 @ 11:53 AM

    Too little. Who is the assistant that lured women – even really young women – into Weinstein’s hotel rooms and made them think they were safe because she was there, then quickly and quietly left, leaving them with a predator. Out that woman, or those women, because they are complicit in this – they should be charged as accomplices to rape. Then what the employees say will get respect but right now, this is just pathetic to read.

  2. Stigmata Martyr • October 20, 2017 @ 6:32 PM

    Too many words

  3. Ross Murray • October 22, 2017 @ 6:07 AM

    This will require a great, great many more words – and subsequent, appropriate actions – to even come close to making things right.

  4. CDubya • October 23, 2017 @ 11:50 AM

    I enjoyed reading that. They are breaching an agreement to speak out and get others to speak out. Not to mention breaching a contract which will hold them legally liable. But I liked the part where they mention their boss created a hostile work environment etc.. Obviously it’s not written on behalf of every employee, but it’s a good start. And I hope it gets others in the industry (an in non-Hollywood) to think about their actions because it’s showing that even infamous Hollywood people are not untouchable. Harvey is ruined. Period. Now other corporate heads, please take note.


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