*Harvey Weinstein Scandal Livewire:* Embattled Mogul Sent 'Desperate' Plea to Hollywood Power Players for Backup Before Firing

All the latest news in the mushrooming Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal. Refresh for updates…

UPDATES BELOW: All times Eastern…

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Update – 9:07 p.m.: Oliver Stone is taking a wait-and-see approach to the allegations against Weinstein.

“I’m a believer that you wait until this thing gets to trial,” Stone said, continuing: “I believe a man shouldn’t be condemned by a vigilante system. It’s not easy what he’s going through either. He was a rival and I never did business with him. I’ve heard horror stories on everyone in the business. So, I’m not going to comment on that. I’ll wait and see, which is the right thing to do.”

More at THR.

Update – 8:40 p.m.: Amazon Studios chief Roy Price has been suspended following accusations that he sexually harassed a television producer.

A rep for Amazon tells The Wrap that Price has been put “on leave of absence effective immediately” following the accusations (scroll down livewire for more).

Update – 8:36 p.m.: Remaining executives at The Weinstein Company are reported to be divided about the future direction of the business. Variety reports that the company could be forced into some form of bankruptcy reorganization, while some executives are pushing for a sale.

From Variety:

TWC co-chairman Bob Weinstein and COO David Glasser are said to be advocating a batten-down-the-hatches strategy while the law firm hired to investigate the growing number of claims about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged misconduct completes its work. Sources said the two believe they can be exonerated of accusations that they knew of the worst allegations against Harvey. But other TWC board members are said to be pushing for the company to begin a sale process.

Another scenario that has been widely speculated is that TWC will volunteer for or be forced by creditors into a prepackaged Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. That could give the company some relief on what is believed to be a significant debt load while allowing new equity players — and likely new management — the chance to come into a cleaned-up balance sheet.

Update – 7:48 p.m.: Attorney Lisa Bloom told Deadline that she ended her representation of Amazon Studios chief Roy Price, before the allegations against him (below) were made public today. Deadline reports that while Amazon has not commented on the matter, it hears “a possible suspension may be coming.”

Deadline:

After downplaying the Price matter for months as being already addressed internally and dealt with, Amazon has now gone radio silent on responding to the specifics that Philip K. Dick’s daughter has made known weeks after the incident first became public.

At the same time, Deadline has learned that attorney Lisa Bloom has left Price’s side. “My representation of Roy Price has concluded,” the former advisor to Harvey Weinstein told Deadline today. “It concluded before the producer went public,” she added.

Update – 7:43 p.m.: Confusion over Hillary Clinton’s pledge to return campaign contributions she received from Weinstein.

Daily Mail:

Clinton indicated she will donate the Weinstein’s money out of her own income rather than from the campaign organization.

‘I give 10 percent of my income to charity every year. This will be part of that,’ Clinton said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

Tax experts said under this scenario she would be able to deduct this money from her income taxes.

Julian Block, a former special agent at the IRS and a tax attorney in New York, said her pledge raised significant questions.

‘Is this a situation where her campaign organization is turning over money to her, that goes into her checking account, and then she’s writing a check on that account to make the donation?’ said Block. ‘That would raise some questions as to who’s actually making the donation.’

More here.

Update – 7:12 p.m.: TMZ reports that Weinstein’s contract with The Weinstein Company “allowed” for repeated lawsuits, apparently including sexual harassment suits.

From TMZ:

TMZ is privy to Weinstein’s 2015 employment contract, which says if he gets sued for sexual harassment or any other “misconduct” that results in a settlement or judgment against TWC, all Weinstein has to do is pay what the company’s out, along with a fine, and he’s in the clear.

According to the contract, if Weinstein “treated someone improperly in violation of the company’s Code of Conduct,” he must reimburse TWC for settlements or judgments. Additionally, “You [Weinstein] will pay the company liquidated damages of $250,000 for the first such instance, $500,000 for the second such instance, $750,000 for the third such instance, and $1,000,000 for each additional instance.”

More from Nolte.

Update – 7:04 p.m.: More on the allegations against Amazon Studios chief Roy Price.

From Breitbart’s John Nolte:

Most damning for Amazon is the fact that Hatckett reported the incidents to Amazon. The company says it did an investigation but Price still has his high-powered job.

Amazon released a mealy-mouthed statement that read in part, “[W]e looked closely at this specific concern and addressed it directly with those involved.”

Update – 6:05 p.m.: BOMBSHELL – The great unraveling continues… Isa Hackett, daughter of Philip K. Dick and a producer on the popular Amazon series Man in the High Castle, has accused top Amazon executive Roy Price of sexual harassment. Hackett claims that during an evening in July 2015, Price “repeatedly and insistently propositioned her” while they shared a cab.

Hollywood Reporter has the exclusive:

“You will love my d**k,” he said, according to Hackett, who relayed her account to multiple individuals in the hours after the alleged episode. (The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed Hackett told at least two people about the alleged incident in the immediate aftermath.) Hackett says she made clear to Price she was not interested and told him that she is lesbian with a wife and children.

Hackett says Price did not relent in the cab or once they arrived at the Amazon party. As she talked with other executives, she says that Price stepped close to her and loudly said, “Anal sex!” in her ear.

In a brief interview with THR‘s Kim Masters, Hackett said she was inspired to come forward due to the women speaking up about Harvey Weinstein.

Full story at the Hollywood Reporter.

Update – 5:36 p.m.: Quiara A. Hudes, who wrote the book later turned into the Broadway musical In The Heights, asks The Weinstein Company to relinquish the rights to the film adaptation so that she and her team can make the film in a studio where they will feel safe.

In the Heights is part of my heart and soul. I created it about respect, community, and solidarity. I hope the Weinstein Company has enough grace, in the wake of these revelations, to respect my stand as a woman, and to allow us to extricate In the Heights from them.

Full statement here.

Update – 5:07 p.m.: A source tells Deadline it’s “virtually certain” that Weinstein will be expelled from the Producers Guild of America when the guild holds an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss his fate.

From Deadline:

The national board of directors of the Producers Guild of America will hold an emergency meeting Saturday to expel Harvey Weinstein from the guild. Per the PGA’s constitution, the disgraced movie mogul has been informed that he faces possible suspension or expulsion, but a knowledgeable source says it’s virtually certain Weinstein will be kicked out of the guild for his predatory sexual practices that recently came to light.

“He will be kicked out,” a source told Deadline. “I’m proud that we’re doing this.”

More here.

Update – 5:01 p.m.: Julia Roberts has become the latest actress to speak up about the allegations surrounding Harvey Weinstein.

Roberts told People in a statement:

A corrupt, powerful man wields his influence to abuse and manipulate women. We’ve heard this infuriating, heartbreaking story countless times before. And now here we go again. I stand firm in the hope that we will finally come together as a society to stand up against this kind of predatory behavior, to help victims find their voices and their healing, and to stop it once and for all.

Update – 4:36 p.m.: Rose McGowan, who earlier had her Twitter account suspended for her tweets about Weinstein, is back on the service and has launched a blistering attack on Amazon chief Jeff Bezos.

Tweets here:

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Update – 4:05 p.m.: Weinstein Books has shut down amid the scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein’s conduct.

From Page Six:

A memo sent out to publishing pros on Thursday by Weinstein Books publishing director Georgina Levitt and editorial director Amanda Murray, and obtained by Page Six, says, “We are pleased to share that all books and authors under the Weinstein Books imprint, as well as Amanda and myself, will have a new home at Hachette Books, an imprint at the Hachette Book Group, effective immediately.”

Update – 3:31 p.m.: Actress Emma Thompson calls Weinstein a “predator” in an interview with the BBC and says the sexual harassment and abuse allegations leveled at the movie producer are “endemic” to Hollywood. She adds Weinstein is just the “top of a a very particular iceberg.”

From Deadline:

Recalling the euphemism of earlier times, Thompson says, “‘Is he pestering you?’ That’s the word we used to use in the olden days, if you recall. This has been part of our world, women’s world, since time immemorial. So what we need to start talking about is the crisis in masculinity, the crisis of extreme masculinity, which is this sort of behavior…”

Asked whether there are others like Weinstein in the Hollywood industry, Thompson responds, “Of course, many. Maybe not to that degree. Do they have to all be as bad as him to make it count?”

Update – 3:11 p.m.: Emily’s List, the organization that works to elect pro-abortion Democrats to office, issued a statement calling Harvey Weinstein a “predator,” but the statement did not mention whether the group would return any of the money it received from the DNC, after the DNC announced last week it would donate $30K of the roughly $250K it has received from Weinstein over the years.

Breitbart’s Dr. Susan Berry with the story:

The DNC released a statement that it would donate the Weinstein money to Emily’s List, Emerge America – which also seeks to elect women to political office – and Higher Heights, a group that aims to specifically elect black women to office.

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The failure of the DNC to return Weinstein’s contributions directly to him or to donate the money to nonpartisan women’s support charities and instead give the money to feminist women’s political action groups has been criticized by Republicans as devoid of substance.

Update – 2:55 p.m.: Ryan Gosling says he is “deeply disappointed” in himself for being “oblivious” to the allegations surrounding Weinstein.

“I want to add my voice of support for the women who have had the courage to speak out against Harvey Weinstein. Like most people in Hollywood, I have worked with him and I’m deeply disappointed in myself for being so oblivious to these devastating experiences of sexual harassment and abuse,” the Blade Runner 2049 actor wrote on Twitter.

“He is emblematic of a systemic problem. Men should stand with women and work together until there is real accountability and change.”

Update – 2:13 p.m.: Actress Claire Forlani, who starred in the Miramax-distributed Boys and Girls in 2000, says she “escaped 5 times” from Weinstein’s behavior.

You see, nothing happened to me with Harvey — by that I mean, I escaped 5 times. I had two Peninsula Hotel meetings in the evening with Harvey and all I remember was I ducked, dived and ultimately got out of there without getting slobbered over, well just a bit. Yes, massage was suggested. The three dinners with Harvey I don’t really remember the time period, I was 25. I remember him telling me all the actresses who had slept with him and what he had done for them.

Read the rest of Forlani’s lengthy statement here.

Update – 1:53 p.m.: Weinstein’s wife Georgina Chapman has reportedly reached out to Hillary Clinton’s right-hand-woman Huma Abedin for support, as Abedin has experience with this particular type of scandal.

From Page Six:

A source close to Chapman said, “One of the people Georgina has reached out to is Huma, who has been through this kind of scandal and media storm, and survived with her dignity intact. They are both mothers, they have both been in a situation where their husbands turned out to be a different person than the man they thought they knew.”

The source added that while they first met through Weinstein, Abedin did go to Chapman’s daughter’s birthday party in the Hamptons this summer, and they have remained in contact.

More here.

Update – 1:41 p.m.: Kate Beckinsdale claims Harvey came on to her when she was a minor:

Update – 1:17 p.m.: “NYC, London police taking fresh look at Weinstein claims”

AP:

Police detectives in New York City and London are taking a fresh look into sexual assault allegations against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein.

New York Police Department spokesman Peter Donald said Thursday that investigators are trying to determine whether there were any additional complaints involving Weinstein, now embroiled in a sex abuse scandal. That includes reviewing police files to see if any women previously reported being assaulted or harassed by him.

Update – 1:14 p.m. Kate Beckinsale on Harvey Weinstein… “he couldn’t remember if he had assaulted me or not.”

Kate Beckinsale has shared an account of meeting Harvey Weinstein, after which “he couldn’t remember if he had assaulted me or not.”

The actress, who starred in The Weinstein Co. titles Serendipity and The Aviator, took to Instagram to recall when she met with the Hollywood producer at the Savoy Hotel when she was 17 years old. She assumed it would be a business discussion in a conference room, but she was then sent up to a hotel room, with Weinstein greeting her in his bathrobe.

“I was incredibly naive and young, and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him,” she said. “After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning, I left, uneasy but unscathed.”

Full story at THR.

Update – 12:38 p.m.: “Clinton Aides Gang Up on Boyfriend of Harvey Weinstein Accuser”

Current and former aides to Hillary Clinton ganged up on Anthony Bourdain on Twitter after Bourdain criticized Clinton for her delayed response to the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

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The Weinstein controversy is personal for Bourdain. He is dating Italian actress and director Asia Argento, one of Weinstein’s alleged victims.

Full story here.

Update – 12:22 p.m.: “Harvey Weinstein flies to Arizona for rehab – admitting ‘I’ve got to get help’ and asking for a second chance”

Contrary to reports about Weinstein flying overseas for sex therapy and possibly becoming a fugitive, the disgraced and unemployed former-mogul is headed to Arizona for help.

Maybe President Trump’s executive order today that rolls back some Obamacare restrictions made the difference.

Update – 11:52 a.m.: Harvey makes the cover of Time! In other news, Time is still in business…

Update – 11:51 a.m.: Jane Fonda knew.

Update – 11:20 a.m.: Well played!

Update – 11:15 a.m.: Unlike the leftwing men of Late Night, Samantha Bee actually went after Weinstein Wednesday night.

Deadline:

With all the sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood, Samantha Bee thought it an appropriate time to release a special “Penis PSA” to let men know what to do and what not to do with their penis — mostly what not to do.

“Fellas, I’m a big comedy star slash Hollywood executive, and I’ve found that it’s quite easy not to masturbate in front of my employees,” Bee said. “In fact, it’s one of the easiest things I don’t do. Every day, I wake up, get dressed, take the subway to work, and then don’t masturbate in front of anyone.”

Update – 11:07 a.m.: FLASHBACK: Harvey Weinstein says, “Hollywood has the best moral compass” while he was attempting to free admitted child rapist Roman Polanski.

Update – 9:44 a.m.: Harvey Weinstein Rebuked by Cannes and Bafta Over Sexual Abuse Scandal

Update – 9:43 a.m.: WEINSTEIN — I’M NOT DOING OKAY, GOTTA GET HELP!’

And Screw Those Celebs!

Update – 9:06 a.m.: Full list of Weinstein accusers at The Los Angeles Times.

Update – 8:51 a.m.: New groping allegations result in Ben Affleck being dubbed”Buttman.”

Ben Affleck has become the subject of shame and mockery after more allegations of groping emerged this week. Affleck, who is about to appear as Batman for the second time in DC’s big-budget superhero film Justice League, has been called “Buttman” on social media since make-up artist Annamarie Tendler became the second woman to allege that he touched her.

More here.

Update – 8:48 a.m.: BOMBSHELL REPORT — The Weinstein Board KNEW about the payoffs.

Variety:

Lance Maerov, the board member who was in charge of Weinstein’s contract negotiations at the time, also said in an interview that he had been made aware of settlements but had assumed they were to cover up consensual affairs, and, as he was assured there were no pending lawsuits against Weinstein and that Weinstein hadn’t used company money to make the settlements, he granted Weinstein’s contract.

Update – 8:44 a.m.: Twitter silences whistleblower Rose McGowan:

Rose McGowan was informed Wednesday that her Twitter account has been suspended as the actress continued to speak out against Harvey Weinstein and others for their sexual misconduct.

“TWITTER HAS SUSPENDED ME. THERE ARE POWERFUL FORCES AT WORK. BE MY VOICE. #ROSEARMY,” McGowan wrote on Instagram to inform her followers of what happened to her Twitter account.

McGowan also shared a photo of the notification Twitter sent her stating that she would not be able to tweet, retweet or like other tweets for 12 hours.

More here.

Update – 8:00 a.m.: Actor James Van Der Beek opened up about the sexual harassment he’s experienced in the entreatment world, revealing that he’s “ass grabbed by older, powerful men.”

“I’ve had them corner me in inappropriate sexual conversations when I was much younger…,” the Dawson’s Creek star said without naming the names of his alleged abusers.

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Update – 7:30 a.m.: Celebrity chef called Hillary Clinton’s comments about being “shocked” by the Weinstein allegations “shameful,” noting that there no way she didn’t know that her “friend” had “been tormenting women for decades.”

“And I have to say, Hillary’s interview with Fareed Zakaria was shameful in its deflection and its disingenuousness,” said in a series of tweets Wednesday. “know what Hillary Clinton is NOT? She’s not stupid. Or unsophisticated about the world. The Weinstein stories had been out there for years.

“Mindless Hillary hate aside, this was a terrible response to questions about a “friend” who’s been tormenting women for decades,” said Bourdain, whose girlfriend actress Asia Argento has accused Weinstein of rape. “I have met Hillary Clinton. I liked her. I admired much about her. This interview was a real disappointment.”

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Update – 7:00 a.m.: TBS late-night host Samantha Bee blasted Weinstein — without ever mentioning his name — in a two-minute PSA-style monologue Wednesday, warning men in positions of power not to “masturbate in front of” their employees.

“Every day I wake up, get dressed, take the subway to work and then don’t masturbate in front of anyone,” the Full Frontal host said. “Next time you get the urge to masturbate, just ask yourself, ‘Am I in front of an employee or a colleague?’ And if the answer is ‘yes,’ don’t. Just don’t.”

Further ripping Weinstein over allegations that he pleasured himself in front of women, Bee said: “Don’t masturbate in front of people who haven’t specifically asked you to, and even then, stop and ask yourself, what is our power dynamic?”

“Is there a chance in hell this person might only be agreeing to see my hideous dick out of fear for their career? If so, make a good business choice and keep your business in your pants.”

LANGUAGE WARNING:

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Update – 9:30 p.m.: After nearly a week of silence former Vice President Joe Biden condemn Weinstein, telling an audience Wednesday at the New York City Anti-Violence Project that “it is long past time for the powerful men in Hollywood to speak up … because silence is complicity.”

“While we have made progress together, we know that violence and the abuse of power still persist today,” Biden said. “We’ve recently seen that in stark relief in the disgusting conduct and behavior of a very powerful figure in Hollywood. A man who had power over scores of women and their careers. He abused that power in a disgusting and immoral way.”

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Update – 9:00 p.m.: Actress Jamie Lee Curtis slammed “brutish thug” Harvey Weinstein in a Huffington Post op-ed titled “Asking For It.”

The Halloween star criticized fashion designer Donna Karan’s apparent defense of Weinstein and assertion that the producer’s accuser may have invited his advances.

“I, too, have been subjected to my own private, personal versions of sexual harassment on the job,” Curtis said. “Did I ask for it? No. What I simply asked for was a job, and what came with it was sexual harassment.”

Curtis later rails against what she calls the “billionaire boys club bullsh*t” that allows abuse against women to persist.

Perhaps this grotesque power play to “get some” by this brutish thug of a man and the attempts by him, his lawyer, his board and famous friends to, once again, keep it under wraps and blame the victim will fail,” she wrote. “Perhaps the truth will out other sexual harassment, be it from a governor or a president or a presidential candidate or studio head or movie star or executive or anyone else complicit in this billionaire boys club bullsh*t that will come to an inglorious end.”

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Update – 8:30 p.m.: After reports that he planned to enter rehab in Europe, TMZ reports that Weinstein is flying to Arizona to seek treatment for behavioral issues that include sex addiction.

TMZ reports:

The fallen mogul took a private jet from Van Nuys Airport bound for Arizona. He’s set to land in the city of Wickenburg near the highly respected Meadows rehab center. Our sources say some people on his team wanted Harvey to receive treatment at The Meadows facility, but we are getting conflicting information as to whether or not that is the place he will be receiving treatment. We have confirmed, however, he will be getting treatment at an inpatient program.

Update – 8:00 p.m.: Hollywood producer and former head of Focus Features James Schamus slammed Weinstein Wednesday, calling him a “predator.”

“This is the story of one predator and his many victims; but it is also a story about an overwhelming systemic enabling, and until that story is fully told we will fall far short of stopping future depredations on a similar scale,” schemes told The Hollywood Reporter.

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Update – 7:15 p.m.: Hillary Clinton said in an interview Wednesday with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that she was “sick” and “shocked” by the news of Harvey Weinstein’s reported decades of sexual assault against women, adding that will donate some of the money he raised for her to charity.

“I was appalled. It was something that was just intolerable in every way,” Clinton said. “And, you know, like so many people who’ve come forward and spoken out, this was a different side of a person who I and many others had known in the past.”

When asked if she’ll donate Weinstein’s money, Clinton said “of course I will do that.”

“I give 10 percent of my income to charity every year,” she added. “This will be part of that. There’s no doubt about it.”

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Update – 6:45 p.m.: The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is defending its decision for the second time in as many days not to prosecute Weinstein in 2015 after an NYPD sting on the producer reportedly led to an audio recording of an encounter between him and a model in a hotel.

DA Cyrus Vance Jr. told reporters Wednesday that “if we had a case that we felt we could prosecute, and my experts felt we could prosecute, we would have.”

“If we had a case that we felt we could prosecute…against Harvey Weinstein, we would have,” Manhattan DA said earlier Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/j6BzZHBnaB

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 11, 2017

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Update – 5:45 p.m.: The FBI has reportedly opened an investigation into the allegations against Harvey Weinstein at the direction of the Justice Department. According to the Daily Mail, the FBI will look to see whether Weinstein committed federal crimes while in the U.S., and could prepare extradition proceedings if the disgraced movie mogul heads to Europe, where he was reported to be traveling to seek treatment for sex addiction.

Daily Mail reports:

The FBI has opened an investigation into Harvey Weinstein, DailyMail.com has exclusively learned.

DailyMail.com understands the move came at the behest of the Department of Justice, run by Donald Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions, which instructed the bureau to investigate the mounting allegations leveled at the movie mogul.

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The move by the DOJ came amid rumors that Weinstein has plans to head to Europe for sex rehab – leading to fears of a Roman Polanski-style situation where he dodges prosecution in the U.S.

The FBI can both look at whether he has committed any federal crimes in the U.S. and prepare extradition proceedings if he remains in Europe.

Among the allegations against Weinstein, which the FBI is expected to examine, is that he forced Lucia Evans, a student who wanted to be an actress, to perform oral sex on him in New York in 2004.

New York State has no statue of limitations on rape and criminal sexual acts.

More at the Daily Mail.

Update – 5:29 p.m.: Seth MacFarlane issues a statement on the joke he made about Weinstein at the 2013 Oscar nominations ceremony (video of that joke further down in live-wire).

MacFarlane’s statement:

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Update – 5:00 p.m.: TMZ reports that police responded to a call outside Weinstein’s daughter’s house in Los Angeles Wednesday morning “for someone who was suicidal and depressed.”

TMZ reports:

We’re told Lily convinced her father to go back in the house, and shortly thereafter — around 10:30 AM — LAPD and her alarm company showed up. Law enforcement sources confirm officers responded to a call for someone who was suicidal and depressed. When they arrived … Harvey had already left the home.

We’re told Lily told officers no suicidal statements were made, and it was purely a family dispute.

If true, this report means that Weinstein did not fly to Europe last night for rehab, as the outlet previously reported were the producer’s plans. The outlet now says that Weinstein is expected to fly out of town before day’s end.

Update – 4:46 p.m.: Harvey’s brother Bob Weinstein has spoken up about the allegations, calling Harvey “a very sick man.”

Bob Weinstein told TMZ:

My brother Harvey is obviously a very sick man. I’ve urged him to seek immediate professional help because he is in dire need of it. His remorse and apologies to the victims of his abuse are hollow. He said he would go away for help and has yet to do so.”

Harvey responded through a representative:

No matter what derogatory things Bob Weinstein says about his brother, Harvey Weinstein believes his brother is his brother and does not believe his brother would leak his personnel file to the NYT.

Harvey is dealing with his family and is currently in counseling. These are his priorities.

More at TMZ.

Update – 4:25 p.m.: Tom Hanks: “Isn’t it kind of amazing that it took this long?”

Full story from Maureen Dowd at the New York Times.

Update – 4:09 p.m.: Actress Léa Seydoux details more allegations in a piece for The Guardian: ‘I had to defend myself’: the night Harvey Weinstein jumped on me.”

From The Guardian:

He acted as if he were considering me for a role. But I knew that was bullshit. I knew it, because I could see it in his eyes. He had a lecherous look. He was using his power to get sex.

He invited me to come to his hotel room for a drink. We went up together. It was hard to say no because he’s so powerful. All the girls are scared of him. Soon, his assistant left and it was just the two of us. That’s the moment where he started losing control.

We were talking on the sofa when he suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. He’s big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. I left his room, thoroughly disgusted. I wasn’t afraid of him, though. Because I knew what kind of man he was all along.

Seydoux’s full article at The Guardian.

Update – 3:44 p.m.: Weinstein tells TMZ that he “encouraged” wife Georgina Chapman to do what was in her heart in terms of making a decision on their marriage, and that Chapman then decided on separation.

Weinstein told TMZ:

Over the last week, there has been a lot of pain for my family that I take responsibility for. I sat down with my wife Georgina, who I love more than anything, and we discussed what was best for our family. We discussed the possibility of a separation and I encouraged her to do what was in her heart. In the end, she made the decision to separate.

More here.

Update – 3:16 p.m.: An old clip has resurfaced on social media featuring “America’s conscience” Jimmy Kimmel playing what appears to be a game with a woman on a street in which he asks her to guess what’s in his pants.

“Maybe it’d be easier if you put your mouth on it,” Kimmel told the woman.

Full clip:

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Update – 3:14 p.m.: Were NBC’s top executives involved in spiking Weinstein rape allegations story?

From Mediaite:

So who exactly was responsible for spiking the Farrow story on Harvey Weinstein? Logically this sort of decision would likely have gone to the top of the NBC News food chain. But SNL isn’t under Andy Lack’s control, so could it be Steve Burke, CEO of NBC or someone at Comcast above him who requested the company back off?

Ronan Farrow appeared on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show last night, and seemed to be suggesting that NBC passed on his piece based on pressure from Weinstein, telling host Rachel Maddow that she would “have to ask NBC and NBC executive about the details” on why they passed on this story.

More here.

Update – 2:52 p.m.: Actor Ewan McGregor says he “heard rumors” about Weinstein’s behavior over the years, and it’s “about time” reports have come to light.

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Update – 2:29 p.m.: Jay Z is reportedly interested in acquiring Harvey Weinstein’s stake in The Weinstein Co. The rapper and streaming music mogul worked with TWC on The Kalief Browder Story, and has a deal with the company for a miniseries about Trayvon Martin.

From TMZ:

Our sources say Jay wants his relationship with the company to continue and grow, and since Harvey is out he’s looking at acquiring a substantial equity stake in the company.

Update – 2:23 p.m.: TMZ reports that The Weinstein Company has already taken a hefty financial hit due to the swirling scandal.

From TMZ:

The Weinstein Company is already feeling the heat … a major film financier has pulled the plug on a massive loan because Harvey’s no longer steering the ship.

AI International Holdings fronted a $45 million loan to TWC last year. We’ve learned AI sent a letter to TWC and their lawyers at O’Melveny & Myers Tuesday, demanding that the money be returned pronto.

AI says in its letter, “The dismissal of Harvey Weinstein from his position as co-chairman” constitutes a “material adverse change” … allowing them to demand immediate repayment of the loan.

More here.

Update – 1:48 p.m.: Ben Affleck has apologized for acting “inappropriately” toward Hilarie Burton after the actress accused him of groping her during an appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live in 2003.

“I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize,” Affleck wrote in a post to his Twitter account.

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Update – 1:41 p.m.: IndieWire’s Anne Thompson reports that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is debating whether to revoke Weinstein’s membership. Thompson reports the Academy governors will hold an “impromptu meeting” this week on the decision.

From IndieWire:

It’s worth noting that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board of governors is now one-third female, with members who include Whoopi Goldberg, Kimberly Peirce, and Christina Kounelias.

This would be a stunning reversal: By the count of The Weinstein Company’s website, his companies earned 303 Oscar nominations and 75 wins over three decades. Harvey could be the butt of Oscar jokes, but historically was the second most-thanked person in acceptance speeches, after Steven Spielberg.

More here.

Update – 1:24 p.m.: In a lengthy personal statement, actress-model Cara Delevingne detailed her own experience with Weinstein, in which she alleges that the producer invited her to his hotel room, attempted to make her kiss another woman, and then allegedly attempted to kiss her himself. Delevingne said she managed to get out of the room, but felt “awful” that she did the movie, and that she believes she got the part because of what happened.

“I felt guilty as if I did something wrong,” Delevingne wrote in a statement to HuffPost’s Yashar Ali. “I was also terrified that this sort of thing had happened to so many women I know but no one had said anything because of fear.”

Read Delevingne’s full statement below:

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Update – 12:40 p.m.: Affleck Flashback “Sunday morning? That never stopped you before from getting those t**ties out.”

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Drudge posted that 2004 video. Affleck was consensual. The encounter looks consensual but he was a big movie star, she was a small time on-camera reporter. Some comments from the women in the Breitbart News office:

“That doesn’t look all that consensual to me. She’s laughing nervously the whole time.”

“She looks uncomfortable for quite a bit of it and like she’s just trying to smooth it out or something.”

“Also she just angrily says ‘You don’t care about me.'”

Update: 12:31 p.m.: Although the story is more than two hours old, neither Deadline Hollywood or The Hollywood Reporter have published the grope allegation against Ben Affleck.

Update – 12:24 p.m.: “There are other peculiarities about Affleck’s statement.”

We know Weinstein and Affleck have worked together for more than 20 years. Miramax, the company that Weinstein co-founded, produced Good Will Hunting back in 1997 and helped launch Affleck’s career.

Yet not once does Affleck mention Weinstein’s name in his statement. In fact, the statement is largely about Affleck and his own feelings: how “saddened and angry” he is, how the allegations of assault made him “sick,” how he finds himself wondering what he personally can do to make sure “this doesn’t happen to others.” He doesn’t even mention Weinstein’s victims until the very last sentence of his statement, at which point he offers some vague platitude about needing to support them.

Affleck might want it to seem like coming out with this statement is a brave move, but there’s little bravery in condemning the actions of a predator a full five days after he’s been publicly outed and denounced for his behaviour.

More here.

Update – 12:19 p.m.: Grope Allegation Against Batman Ben Affleck Creates PR Nightmare for ‘Justice League’

Moreover, Justice League — a tentpole coming out in less than five weeks, a blockbuster the entire industry is counting on to salvage the 2017 box office, a crowd-pleaser needed to remind people why they love going to the movies, an investment that with promotional costs probably reaches $250 – $300 million — is now in serious jeopardy.

Affleck, the star of that film, not only stands accused of sexual misconduct, he does so in the eye of a hurricane, a rampage to make examples of powerful men, a perfect storm that could capsize his entire career.

Update – 12:17 p.m.: Rose McGowan Tells Ben Affleck to ‘F*ck Off’ after Statement on Weinstein: ‘You Lie’

Breitbart’s Daniel Nussbaum:

Actress Rose McGowan accused fellow actor Ben Affleck of lying about the extent of his knowledge of the sexual harassment allegations against disgraced Hollywood super-producer Harvey Weinstein in a series of Twitter messages this week.

Affleck released a statement Tuesday condemning the allegations against Weinstein, five days after the New York Times first broke the story, but didn’t directly name the producer. The actor said he was “saddened and angry” by the allegations and called them “completely unacceptable,” and added that more serious allegations of assault “made me sick.”

Update – 9:52 a.m.: BOMBSHELL –> Hollywood’s Greatest Fear Realized!!!! Ben Affleck Accused of 2003 Grope!!! The Scandal Turns!!! FLOODGATES OPEN!!!!

Daily Mail:

‘I had to laugh so I wouldn’t cry’: Hilarie Burton claims Weinstein protege Ben Affleck groped her breast on TRL in 2003 ‘when she was just a kid’

Update – 9:19 a.m.: Asia Argento tweeted out a scene she directed that apparently portrays her experience with Weinstein. She has accused the mogul of raping her.

Update – 9:16 a.m.: Lindsey Lohan defends Harvey.

Deadline:

She made an Instagram story saying, “I feel very bad for Harvey Weinstein right now. I don’t think it’s right what’s going on.” She added, “He’s never harmed me or did anything to me – we’ve done several movies together. I think everyone needs to stop – I think it’s wrong. So stand up.”

Update – 8:42 a.m.: Daily Beast reports that there was only ONE Harvey Weinstein joke in all of Late Night last night.

Update – 8:37 a.m.: Mia Farrow: “They All Knew … Dissolve the Board.” Farrow’s son Ronan, is the reporter behind the New Yorker bombshell that includes three rape allegations against Weinstein. She is calling on the Weinstein Company board to be dissolved with the claim that they all knew about Harvey’s behavior.

Update – 8:13 a.m.: Per TMZ, Harvey Weinstein believes his brother Bob, his longtime business partner, sent his personnel file to the New York Times:

TMZ:

Sources connected to H.W. tell TMZ, Harvey firmly believes it was his brother Bob who fed The New York Times the information for its sexual harassment story. He believes it was a well-orchestrated plan by Bob to remove Harvey from the company he built.

Weinstein, we’re told, firmly believes the entire board knew about his sexual harassment troubles for years. Our sources say 7 months ago Bob received Weinstein’s entire personnel file which detailed a number of the claims, and he believes Bob leaked the filed to The NY Times.

Update – 7:55 a.m.: Benedict Cumberbatch disavows.

Deadline:

“I am utterly disgusted by the continuing revelations of Harvey Weinstein’s horrifying and unforgivable actions,” Cumberbatch said in a statement to the media. “We need to collectively stand up and support victims of abuse such as the brave and inspiring women who have spoken out against him and say we hear you and believe you.”

Update – 7:50 a.m.: Amazon may drop two, high-profile Weinstein Company series.

Deadline:

The executive producer credit for Harvey Weinstein already is being removed from all TWC series, including the two on Amazon, in wake of the scandal. On top of that, rumors about Amazon eying potential partying of the ways with TWC altogether and the David O. Russell series being in danger surfaced yesterday when the streaming company would not confirm them. That has since changed as the accusations against Weinstein escalated to sexual assault with a second devastating expose in five days, this time in The New Yorker.

“We are reviewing our options for the projects we have with the Weinstein Co.,” Craig Berman, VP communications at Amazon Entertainment, said in a statement[.]

Update – 7:41 a.m.: The other problem, for the Weinstein Company — outside of the obvious one — is that Harvey is the company’s genius, its idea man, its reason for being. Brother Bob is no slouch, he did a fabulous job running the Dimension division of Miramax back in the Scream days, but Harvey is the secret sauce. And now TMZ reports that one major funder is pulling out — not because of the scandal but because Harvey has been fired.

Update – 12:05 a.m.: The remaining board members of The Weinstein Co. issued a statement late Tuesday saying they were “shocked and dismayed” by the allegations against Weinstein, and that they came as an “utter surprise” to the company. Three of the company’s nine board members resigned after the initial allegations broke last week, and the company is reported to be preparing to change its name.

Full statement, via Deadline:

The Weinstein Company’s Board of Representatives – Bob Weinstein, Lance Maerov, Richard Koenigsberg and Tarak Ben Ammar – are shocked and dismayed by the recently emerged allegations of extreme sexual misconduct and sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein. These alleged actions are antithetical to human decency. These allegations come as an utter surprise to the Board. Any suggestion that the Board had knowledge of this conduct is false.

We are committed to assisting with our full energies in all criminal or other investigations of these alleged acts, while pursuing justice for the victims and a full and independent investigation of our own.

Update – 11:19 p.m.: TMZ reports that Harvey Weinstein will fly to Europe tonight to seek treatment for sex addiction at a rehab facility.

The outlet reports that Weinstein “will enter a live-in facility and will deal both with sex and other behavioral issues.”

From TMZ:

Our sources say Weinstein is surprisingly calm, considering the PR nightmare engulfing him. As one source put it, “He has his moments where there are bursts, but for the most part he’s pretty calm.”

We’re told Weinstein still believes he can get help, come back and make a fresh start. As a source close to Weinstein put it, “He wants to come back with fresh, new ideas.” As we reported, he and his team are in settlement discussions with The Weinstein Co. and the idea of him serving in some outside capacity is still on the table.

Update – 10:05 p.m.: Barack and Michelle Obama released a statement late Tuesday, saying they have been “disgusted” by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein.

The Obamas and Weinstein developed a close relationship through the years with the former president benefiting from the numerous star-studded fundraisers the disgraced producer hosted on his behalf during the 2008 and 2012 elections.

“I have to thank Harvey and Georgina for once again extending incredible hospitality to us,” Obama said during a Weinstein-backed fundraiser in 2013 in Manhattan. “We are so grateful for their friendship and support, and for the amazing movies that they’ve made.”

Weinstein also visited the Obama White House at least 13 times, according to visitor records.

Malia Obama recently wrapped up an internship at the New York City offices of The Weinstein Co.

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Update – 9:04 p.m.: Leonardo DiCaprio: “There is no excuse for sexual harassment or sexual assault – no matter who you are and no matter what profession.”

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Update – 8:04 p.m.: Former DreamWorks chief Jeffrey Katzenberg shares a letter he wrote in response to Weinstein after the disgraced mogul wrote to him begging for support before he was fired from The Weinstein Company Sunday. Katzenberg says he was unsure at first whether to respond at all, but decided to share the letter to show that many in Hollywood feel the same way about the allegations.

Hollywood Reporter has the letter:

Hey Harvey, Here is the bottom line. You stated in your email below that “A lot of the allegations are false as you know.” Well actually I don’t “know” and given the timing of the circumstances, I have no way of knowing.

However, you yourself, in your quotes, have acknowledged that you have behaved inappropriately…so it seems to me we are now down to degrees of horrible.

You have done terrible things to a number of women over a period of years.

I cannot in any way say this is OK with me…It’s not at all, and I am sickened by it, angry with you and incredibly disappointed in you.

See the full letter at THR.

Update – 7:55 p.m.: Weinstein’s wife Georgina Chapman tells People magazine she is leaving him, and that her “heart breaks” for the victims of his behavior:

My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. I have chosen to leave my husband. Caring for my young children is my first priority and I ask the media for privacy at this time.

Weinstein said earlier this week that Chapman “stands 100 percent behind me.”

Update – 7:46 p.m.: Weinstein could reportedly still face criminal charges if the rape allegations described by three separate women in a New Yorker article published Tuesday prove true.

The New York Post reports:

“If the allegations are true … they would support a prosecution for criminal sexual act in the first degree,” said Daniel Alonso, a former top prosecutor with the Manhattan DA’s Office. A conviction on the charge carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.

Misdemeanor charges of sex abuse, sexual misconduct and forcible touching would have also likely been tacked on if he committed the act more recently.

More at the Post.

Update – 6:45 p.m.: Page Six TV reports that Weinstein knew the bombshell New Yorker article containing rape allegations was going to come out, but that he remained “defiant” in a Monday night phone call with them, and even said he was already “planning a comeback.”

“We spoke to Harvey last night,” Page Six reporter Carlos Greer said. “We’ve spoken to him a lot actually, he’s been calling the newsroom panicking, and his mood tends to change. He started out being extremely cavalier about all these allegations, never fully admitting to what people claim he has done.”

“But we spoke to him last night and he was defiant,” Greer continued. “He said that he was gonna fight these accusations, and he also even said that he was planning a comeback, He expects to continue working, and to come back next year. So I don’t know how he’s going to be able to do that after this [New Yorker] bombshell.”

More at Page Six.

Update – 6:28 p.m.: NBC News was reported to have had Ronan Farrow’s blockbuster story on three rape accusations against Harvey Weinstein as early as August, but decided against publishing it.

The Huffington Post reported:

NEW YORK ― Ronan Farrow’s investigation into Harvey Weinstein’s long history of alleged sexual misconduct was in NBC’s hands as recently as August, according to multiple sources both inside and outside the network. By then, Farrow, an NBC contributor and investigative reporter, had already obtained damning audio of an encounter Weinstein had with a woman, in which Weinstein admits to having groped her, sources told HuffPost.

Instead, Farrow’s story — and the audio, from a 2015 New York Police Department sting — appeared Tuesday on the website of The New Yorker. Sources told HuffPost that NBC had concerns related to the story’s sourcing and cleared Farrow to take it to The New Yorker.

More here.

Update – 6:15 p.m.: Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner claimed he had “no idea” what Weinstein was up to when Disney owned Miramax in the 1990s and early 2000s. Eisner says he fired the Weinsteins because they were “irresponsible,” and “Harvey was an incorrigible bully.”

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Update – 6:05 p.m.: Weinstein apparently told radio host Howard Stern in a 2014 interview that the “risks are too great” to engage in sexual relationships with actresses.

As unearthed by the Daily Beast:

“Come on, every girl knows that if she’s a competent actress, she could get on your good side, you could make her a star over-f**king-night,” Stern insisted to Weinstein in the 2014 interview. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t work that way.”

A cheerful Weinstein emphatically denied it: “Howard, the movies are too expensive, the risks are too great,” he said. “It doesn’t happen that way anymore.”

More here.

Update – 5:50 p.m.: Nicole Kidman issued a statement Tuesday on the allegations against Weinstein, though she didn’t mention his name.

“As I’ve stated before publicly, I support and applaud all women and these women who speak out against any abuse and misuse of power — be it domestic violence or sexual harassment in the workforce. We need to eradicate this behavior.”

Update – 5:42 p.m.: A petition circulating online is calling on the University of Southern California to reject a $5 million grant pledged by Harvey Weinstein last year to help women directors in the film industry.

From the Hollywood Reporter:

On Tuesday, university student Tiana Lowe launched a Change.org petition calling on USC to “refuse Harvey Weinstein’s blood money in exchange for its soul.”

“As a woman at USC, the prospect that my university might sell an indulgence to ease Harvey Weinstein’s non-existent guilt saddens me,” the petition reads. “The prospect that, given their pattern of atrocious tolerance to violence against women, they almost certainly will disgusts me.”

The petition can be viewed in full here.

Update – 5:28 p.m.: Actor Terry Crews writes on Twitter that the Weinstein saga has hit him particularly hard, because a Hollywood executive once groped him at a party. He said a “high-level” executive touched him inappropriately at a “Hollywood function.”

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Update – 5:24 p.m.: Rose McGowan has seemingly accused Ben Affleck of lying about the extent of his knowledge of the allegations against Weinstein.

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Update – 5:15 p.m.: Weinstein has reportedly retained the services of attorney Patricia Glaser for a potential upcoming legal battle with The Weinstein Company, which terminated his employment on Sunday.

From Deadline:

It could be a battle of the brothers in the courts very soon as deposed and much accused Harvey Weinstein has retained attorney Patricia Glaser to represent him in a possible looming action against Bob Weinstein and the Weinstein Company.

As more revelations of sexual harassment and even accusations of rape are coming out against Weinstein, Deadline has learned that the Hollywood heavyweight could be taking a legal shiv to the younger brother and TWC for terminating the 65-year old’s employment with the company on October 8.

More here.

Update – 4:10 p.m.: The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is defending itself from claims it should have prosecuted Weinstein in 2015, after the NYPD reportedly conducted a sting on the producer that led to the audio recording of an encounter with a model in a hotel.

From the New York Post:

“If we could have prosecuted Harvey Weinstein for the conduct that occurred in 2015, we would have,” Chief Assistant DA Karen Friedman-Agnifilo said in a statement.

Friedman-Agnifilo’s explanation came in response to a bombshell New Yorker exposé published Tuesday that said Weinstein admitted on a secret NYPD recording that he fondled Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez.

More at the Post.

Update – 3:59 p.m.: More allegations from actress-screenwriter Louisette Geiss, who alleges that Weinstein masturbated in front of her at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. Geiss detailed her claims in a press conference Tuesday with Gloria Allred, mother of Hollywood attorney Lisa Bloom, who was part of Weinstein’s defense team before resigning last week.

From the Daily Mail:

She told how in 2008, Weinstein invited her to his office for a meeting during the Sundance Film Festival in Utah under the pretense of discussing her new movie.

Geiss said that he insisted on listening to her pitch in his hot tub after emerging from the bathroom 30 minutes in to the meeting naked in an unfastened bathrobe.

She claims that he asked her to watch him masturbate and that when she told him she was leaving, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the bathroom.

Update – 3:34 p.m.: Matt Damon gives a lengthy interview to Deadline in which he denies an earlier account from The Wrap chief Sharon Waxman that he and Russell Crowe had helped spike a New York Times story in 2004 that was going to reflect badly on Weinstein’s behavior.

Some Damon quotes to Deadline:

On the phone call:

My recollection was that it was about a one minute phone call. Harvey had called me and said, they’re writing a story about Fabrizio, who I knew from The Talented Mr. Ripley. He has organized our premiere in Italy and so I knew him in a professional capacity and I’d had dinner at his house. Harvey said, Sharon Waxman is writing a story about Fabrizio and it’s really negative. Can you just call and tell her what your experience with Fabrizio was. So I did, and that’s what I said to her. It didn’t even make the piece that she wrote.

…

For the record, I would never, ever, ever try to kill a story like that. I just wouldn’t do that. It’s not something I would do, for anybody.

On the allegations against Weinstein:

This kind of stuff can’t happen. This morning, I just feel absolutely sick to my stomach.

…

We know this stuff goes on in the world. I did five or six movies with Harvey. I never saw this. I think a lot of actors have come out and said, everybody’s saying we all knew. That’s not true. This type of predation happens behind closed doors, and out of public view. 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.

Full interview here.

Update – 3:16 p.m.: TMZ with a reminder that this was such an open secret in Hollywood, Seth MacFarlane joked about it during the Oscar nomination announcements in 2013.

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Update – 2:49 p.m.: Actress Amber Tamblyn: “It’s time to press charges.”

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Update – 2:00 p.m.: Another passage from the New York Times story on Paltrow and Jolie details the claims of one Dawn Dunning, who left acting and became a costume designer after an experience with Weinstein in 2003. Dunning told the paper she went up to Weinstein’s Manhattan hotel room for a meeting, where she found the producer in a bathrobe and with a number of papers placed on the coffee table.

From NYT:

He told her they were contracts for his next three films, according to Ms. Dunning. But she could only sign them on a condition: She would have to have three-way sex with him.

Ms. Dunning said that she laughed, assuming he was joking, and that Mr. Weinstein grew angry.

“You’ll never make it in this business,” she said he told her. “This is how the business works.”

…

More at the Times.

Update – 1:40 p.m.: Hillary Clinton responds to the allegations surrounding Weinstein five days after the scandal breaks, writing in a statement that she is “shocked and appalled” by the charges. Weinstein was a significant celebrity bundler for Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

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UPDATE – 1:12 p.m.: ANOTHER BOMBSHELL – Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie tell the New York Times Tuesday that they had their own personal incidents with Weinstein.

From the Times:

When Gwyneth Paltrow was 22 years old, she got a role that would take her from actress to star: The film producer Harvey Weinstein hired her for the lead in the Jane Austen adaptation “Emma.” Before shooting began, he summoned her to his suite at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel for a work meeting that began uneventfully.

It ended with Mr. Weinstein placing his hands on her and suggesting they head to the bedroom for massages, she said.

“I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,” she said in an interview, publicly disclosing that she was sexually harassed by the man who ignited her career and later helped her win an Academy Award.

She refused his advances, she said, and confided in Brad Pitt, her boyfriend at the time. Mr. Pitt confronted Mr. Weinstein, and soon after, the producer threatened her not to tell anyone else about his come-on. “I thought he was going to fire me,” she said.

Paltrow said she refused Weinstein’s advances and left the hotel as soon as she could.

Jolie also told the Times she had a “bad experience” with Weinstein in her youth, that she refused to work with him ever again, and warned people about his behavior.

Full report at the New York Times.

Update – 1:00 p.m.: Actress and UN special ambassador Emma Watson has weighed in on the scandal, writing on Twitter that she stands with the victims and is awestruck by their bravery. Watson worked with Weinstein on the 2011 My Week with Marilyn.

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Update – 12:31 p.m.: Ben Affleck, who won an Oscar for the Miramax-distributed Good Will Hunting in 1997, says he is “saddened and angry” by the allegations against Weinstein, and called them “completely unacceptable.”

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Update – 12:12 p.m.: The New Yorker posts an audio clip reportedly taken during a sting operation against Weinstein in 2015 in which he is heard pleading with a woman in a hotel, and saying he is “used to” touching women.

Full audio:

UPDATE – 11:21 a.m.: BOMBSHELL –> 3 WOMEN ACCUSE HARVEY OF RAPE*****

The New Yorker:

Three women––among them Argento and a former aspiring actress named Lucia Evans—told me that Weinstein raped them, allegations that include Weinstein forcibly performing or receiving oral sex and forcing vaginal sex. Four women said that they experienced unwanted touching that could be classified as an assault. In an audio recording captured during a New York Police Department sting operation in 2015 and made public here for the first time, Weinstein admits to groping a Filipina-Italian model named Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, describing it as behavior he is “used to.” Four of the women I interviewed cited encounters in which Weinstein exposed himself or masturbated in front of them.

UPDATE – 10:54 a.m.: Anthony Bourdain BLASTS Matt Damon:

Bourdain is obviously referring to the news that, in 2004, Matt Damon reportedly called the New York Times in order to kill a negative story about Weinstein’s alleged sexual misconduct. Full story here.

—

Looking forward to “THE BOURNE APOLOGY” in which Jason fights off attempts to expose a pimp

— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) October 10, 2017

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UPDATE – 10:51 a.m.: Hillary and Obama remain silent.

UPDATE – 10:33 a.m.: Juanita Broaddrick BLASTS Hillary over her silence.

Juanita Broaddrick is the very brave woman who alleges she was raped by Bill Clinton when he was still governor of Arkansas. What our media and the Clintonistas did to destroy this poor woman back in the 90’s is as shameful as it gets. Twitter, however, has given her a voice, and she has been using it fearlessly ever since:

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Hillary won’t talk about Weinstein–kinda makes you wonder what HW could spill about his pervert buddy, Bill Clinton pic.twitter.com/OZY8bUPIYS

— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) October 10, 2017

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UPDATE – 10:15 a.m.: Donna Karam Walks It Back as Obama and Hillary Remain Silent.

Fashion mogul Donna Karan is apologizing after praising Harvey Weinstein following his firing from his film company amid allegations of sexual harassment lasting decades.

…

In a statement Monday, Karan said her remarks were taken out of context and don’t represent her feelings. She says she believes “sexual harassment is NOT acceptable and this is an issue that MUST be addressed once and for all regardless of the individual.”

UPDATE – 10:14 a.m.: Hillary and Obama still silent.

UPDATE: 10:02 a.m.: Hillary and Obama still silent.

UPDATE 9:44 a.m.: Ashley Judd claims she told Weinstein she would not touch him until she had won an Oscar in one of his films.

Two key points here…

Judd claims she was joking with Harvey.
Judd never won any awards.

UPDATE 9:40 a.m.: WOW –> Tim Kaine to CNN: Hillary will speak on Weinstein ‘when the time is right’

UPDATE – 9:28 a.m.: BOMBSHELL –> Hillary spoke for 90 minutes in California last night and said all kinds of NOTHING about Harvey. No audience questions about Harvey. This almost certainly means the Hillary folks screened them out.

—

Clinton’s Davis appearance has wrapped up. She did not bring up Harvey Weinstein, nor was she asked about it during the Q&A.

— Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz) October 10, 2017

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UPDATE – 9:24 a.m.: Judge Judy Says Harvey Weinstein Got the ‘Payback’ He Deserves (as Hillary and Obama remain silent)

UPDATE – 9:12 a.m.: Rob Reiner makes whataboutism great again!

“Weinstein is a bad guy but Trump is far worse … an abuser”

UPDATE – 9: 11 a.m.: Lin-Manuel Miranda ‘appalled and repulsed’ by Harvey Weinstein allegations

UPDATE: 9:10 a.m.: Obama and Hillary still silent.

UPDATE – 9:07 a.m.: Director says, “Hollywood stands on the cusp of a widespread sex scandal with many more movie industry power-players being exposed for attacking women.”

UPDATE: 833 a.m.: As of right now, the word WEINSTEIN appears nowhere on Politico’s homepage. This is a total cover-up on Politico’s part. A brazen protection racket for Democrats.

UPDATE: 8:26 a.m.: SHAMED into mocking Weinstein, Kimmel engages in whataboutism against Trump.

Deadline:

The ABC late-night host acknowledged people are pointing to the fact that Harvey Weinstein was a big Clinton supporter, adding, “I’m not defending Hillary Clinton. The fact is, her campaign did take money from a high-profile man who has been accused of sexual harassment multiple times. And not just one of them by the way. She took money from two of them! Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump, who donated to Hillary’s campaign in 2008.”

Kimmel’s note to Donald Jr.: “Next time you’re defending your father, and you think it’s a good idea to draw a comparison between him and a freshly-accused sexual predator? Don’t. It doesn’t help.”

UPDATE: 8:23 a.m.: SHAMED into mocking Weinstein, Stephen Colbert trots out aging Jon Stewart and engages in whataboutism against Trump.

Deadline:

“Famed Hollywood producer and human Shrek, Harvey Weinstein is a bad person,” Stephen Colbert said at the top of Late Show, joining late night hosts in addressing news about decades of sexual harassment claims.

Meanwhile, Jon Stewart joined Colbert in giving President Donald Trump the late-night equal time he had demanded in a tweet.

UPDATE – 8:21 a.m.: SAG-AFTRA Condemns “Disgraceful” Harvey Weinstein (as Hillary and Obama remain silent)

THR:

SAG-AFTRA issued a statement Monday condemning embattled producer Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual harassment as “abhorrent and unacceptable,” and commending the “courage and candor” of women who speak out — a group that included actresses who are no doubt SAG-AFTRA members — and the “extraordinary reporting” of The New York Times, which first revealed the allegations last Thursday.

UPDATE – 8:18 a.m.: HONESTY – Jessica Chastain admits she knew about Weinstein’s behavior. Says everyone knew and they are not being honest if they say different.

UPDATE – 8:15 a.m.: Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter disavows! (as Hillary and Obama remain silent)

Deadline:

I am a pile of reworked flaws weaved into a semi-functioning man. And my glass house is always in need of repair. But in good conscience, I cannot help but throw this stone —

The allegations against Harvey Weinstein are clearly deplorable. No matter how many great films he’s bullied into production, or his guilt-induced contributions to left-minded ideals, this kind of intimidation and abuse of power is perverse and utterly unforgivable. Period.

UPDATE – 8:10 a.m.: Clooney finally disavows! (as Hillary and Obama remain silent)

Daily Beast:

“It’s indefensible. That’s the only word you can start with,” he says. “Harvey’s admitted to it, and it’s indefensible. I’ve known Harvey for 20 years. He gave me my first big break as an actor in films on From Dusk Till Dawn, he gave me my first big break as a director with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. We’ve had dinners, we’ve been on location together, we’ve had arguments. But I can tell you that I’ve never seen any of this behavior—ever.”

UPDATE – 8:08 a.m.: JLaw finally disavows! (as Hillary and Obama remain silent)

“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,” Lawrence told the outlet.

“My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward,” she added.

UPDATE – 7:58 a.m.: Another bombshell report — Weinstein nearly arrested in 2015 over grope!

Daily Beast:

Harvey Weinstein had no sooner apologized to the 22-year-old woman who had accused him of groping her than he seemed ready to do it again.

“After he apologized, he said, ‘Listen, come up to my room,’” an NYPD commander with direct knowledge of the case says.

Ambra Battilana excused herself to use the restroom and she was met by a detective from the special victims unit, which had been using two cellphones to record this March 28, 2015, meeting in the bar/restaurant at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in downtown Manhattan. Battilana seemed close to panic. The detective promised her that she would be safely under protective surveillance if she went along with Weinstein’s request.

UPDATE – 7:52 a.m.: Harvey Feels betrayed by brother and business partner Bob.

Page Six:

Harvey Weinstein “feels betrayed” by his brother, Bob, after he voted to give him the boot on Sunday, a report says.

One of the media mogul’s longtime friends told CNN on Monday that he felt like his firing from The Weinstein Company was proof that his younger bro had finally turned his back on him following years of turmoil and bad blood.

“Harvey is convinced that this was a takedown,” the friend said. “He feels betrayed by his brother.”

UPDATE – 7:49 a.m.: Late Night caves to pressure, is shamed into mocking Weinstein.

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Here’s what the women of #LNSM have to say about Harvey Weinstein. pic.twitter.com/r4oGo8yFAj

— Late Night (@LateNightSeth) October 10, 2017

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Update – 8:11 p.m.: Another woman has come forward with sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

Louise Goldbold, an executive director at the nonprofit Echo Parenting and Education in Los Angeles, alleged Weinstein “preyed” on her in the 1990s.

The details of what I have learned was not unique to me are out there now – the office tour that became an occasion to trap me in an empty meeting room, the begging for a massage, his hands on my shoulders as I attempted to beat a retreat… all while not wanting to alienate the most powerful man in Hollywood.

Read Goldbold’s full blog post at her website.

Update – 7:41 p.m.: Actress Jessica Chastain writes on Twitter that she was “warned from the beginning” about Weinstein’s behavior. Chastain starred in two movies distributed by The Weinstein Company, 2012’s Lawless, and 2013’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. The Oscar-nominated actress condemned the allegations against Weinstein earlier Monday.

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Update – 7:08 p.m.: The New York Times is pushing back on The Wrap chief Sharon Waxman’s claim that her 2004 story about allegations against Harvey Weinstein was spiked by the paper.

Clifford Levy, deputy managing editor at the Times:

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Update – 6:40 p.m.: CNN reports that Hillary Clinton and former President Obama have not yet commented on the allegations against Weinstein, first reported Thursday by the Times. Weinstein hosted a $33,000 per-plate fundraiser for Clinton in New York City in June of last year, and also made personal donations to her campaign, while Obama was also a major beneficiary of Weinstein’s campaign contributions.

Update – 6:30 p.m.: Lena Dunham op-ed for the New York Times:

“Lena Dunham: Harvey Weinstein and the Silence of the Men.”

Update – 6:21 p.m.: Apple has reportedly pulled the plug on a television series about Elvis Presley that was set to be produced by The Weinstein Company. The show was reportedly in the early stages of development.

From Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva:

I have learned that Apple has pulled the plug on an Elvis Presleybiopic series from The Weinstein Company in light of the controversy that has engulfed TWC since last week’s explosive exposé about its co-founder Harvey Weinstein.

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I hear the deal, which has now been terminated, was for an biopic series, but there was an idea to grow that into an anthology franchise with Prince and Michael Jackson eyed as subjects in subsequent installments. I hear TWC COO David Glasser is reengaging another network that had bid on the series when it was first taken out.

More at Deadline.

Update – 6:11 p.m.: – More on Weinstein’s last-ditch effort to save his job, with a letter to Hollywood moguls that reportedly included Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ron Meyer, and David Zaslav.

From Breitbart’s Jerome Hudson:

Embattled movie mogul and Democratic party super-donor Harvey Weinstein sent an email to major Hollywood executives begging for them to help save him from being fired from the film he co-founded, Weinstein & Co.

“Do not let me be fired,” Weinstein begged his counterparts ahead of his termination from his company, according to an email published by The Hollywood Reporter co-owner Janice Min.

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Update – 5:48 p.m.: Rose McGowan keeps up her trolling of Hollywood by asking Ben and Casey Affleck: “How’s your morning boys?” Casey Affleck won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Manchester by the Sea this year, and was called out due to previous accusations of sexual misconduct.

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Update – 5:37 p.m.: More actors and actresses are speaking up about the allegations, including Kate Winslet, Jeff Bridges, and This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia.

Winslet, in a statement to Variety:

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.

“I have no doubt that for these women this time has been, and continues to be extremely traumatic. I fully embrace and salute their profound courage, and I unequivocally support this level of very necessary exposure of someone who has behaved in reprehensible and disgusting ways. His behaviour is without question disgraceful and appalling and very, very wrong. I had hoped that these kind of stories were just made up rumours, maybe we have all been naïve. And it makes me so angry. There must be ‘no tolerance’ of this degrading, vile treatment of women in ANY workplace anywhere in the world.

Bridges, in a statement to Variety:

“Talk about facing your fear, he’s gotta face his demons now. I wish him the best of luck with that, he needs to lean in and really face those things.

Update – 5:30 p.m.: Mic comes out with a handy reference list of all the Democratic politicians and officials who have pledged to donate campaign contributions from Weinstein. The list includes the near-dozen Democratic senators, including Senators Schumer, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, Leahy, Heinrich, Warren, etc…

See the full list at Mic.

Update – 5:19 p.m.: Hollywood Reporter chief Janice Min claims via her verified Twitter account that Hollywood titans Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ron Meyer, and David Zaslav were among those who “refused to support Weinstein” after the scandal. Min previously posted a transcribed letter purported to be from Weinstein and sent to various Hollywood power players before he was fired from The Weinstein Company on Sunday. (See full letter below, in earlier update).

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Update – 5:10 p.m.: British actress Romola Garai has come forward with her own experience with Weinstein when she was 18 years old, telling The Guardian that she felt “violated” when Weinstein allegedly opened the door to his hotel room for a meeting and appeared only in a bathrobe.

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.

Garai has starred in the film Atonement, as well as the BBC series The Hours.

Read more of her story at The Guardian here.

Update – 5:03 p.m.: Kid Rock, musician and very possible Michigan Senate candidate, has weighed in on the controversy. Rock says he’s speaking up on behalf of the women he cares about in his own life:

Most of us in the entertainment business have heard of these disgusting stories for years about these scumbag heads of studios, record labels, Fortune 500 companies, etc and how they prey on young women and men, especially in Hollywood, where most show up with stars in their eyes and are viewed / treated as nothing more than a toy by many of these assholes.

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“Best of luck to you victims and know that even though we do not see eye to eye on most things, folks like me still support, care and admire your courage to speak out. I hope Harvey gets the help he seeks, but I do not buy any of it at this point as I believe he is only going down this path because he cannot cover his own shit up any longer.

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Read Rock’s full statement on his website.

Update – 4:56 p.m.: Rose McGowan weighs in on reports that Matt Damon helped spike a story in the New York Times about his behavior all the way back in 2004. McGowan calls Damon a “spineless profiteer.”

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Update – 4:51 p.m.: Glenn Close has become the latest actress to speak out about the allegations, telling the New York Times she had heard about “vague rumors” regarding Weinstein’s behavior, but now feels “angry and darkly sad.”

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.

I’m angry, not just at him and the conspiracy of silence around his actions, but also that the “casting couch” phenomenon, so to speak, is still a reality in our business and in the world: the horrible pressure, the awful expectation put on a woman when a powerful, egotistical, entitled bully expects sexual favors in exchange for a job.

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Close’s statement continues at the New York Times.

Update – 4:45 p.m.: The Friars Club has officially cancelled its scheduled roast of Harvey Weinstein, which had already been repeatedly delayed, calling the decision a “no-brainer.”

From the New York Daily News:

“Given the nature of what’s happened, that’s unlikely,” according to a source close to the club. “I doubt he’d allow it either. It’s a dead deal.”

A second source added “one would think” that ongoing sexual harassment charges against Weinstein will be the nail in the coffin of a negotiation that had all but grinded to a halt in recent weeks.

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Update – 4:30 p.m.: Hollywood Reporter chief Janice Min posts a letter purported to be from Weinstein himself and sent to Hollywood “CEOs and moguls” before his official firing from The Weinstein Company.

Read the letter below:

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Update – 4:19 p.m.: TV reporter Lauren Sivan gives more details about her encounter with Weinstein to Megyn Kelly on NBC’s Today Monday morning. Sivan was the reporter who alleged that Weinstein once cornered her in a restaurant that was closed to the public and made her watch him masturbate.

The most demeaning part of it all was that 20 minutes earlier he was having this great conversation with me,” she said. “I felt so great and flattered by it. And then to be told ‘stand there and be quiet’ negated any warm feelings.”