The sexual scandal of the almighty Harvey Weinstein shocked Hollywood

Sex and Hollywood. Anyone would rub ir hands. Sex, Hollywood and Harvey Weinstein, world's most powerful film producer and distributor outside of a major (a large Hollywood studio). Big words. Headline meat all over world. Even President Donald Trump decided to give his opinion on Saturday about scandal: "I know Harvey Weinstein for a long time, I'm not surprised at all." It made sense to attack: For decades Weinstein has been one of great fundraisers for Democratic campaigns, supporting Clinton and Barack Obama cinema. Even Malia Obama, former president's eldest daughter, has been an intern at his company until end of last summer. Several senators and congressmen have sent donations made by producer to NGOs fighting sexual abuse. Last night, what was left of board of Directors of Weinstein Company, headed by his bror Bob, announced his dismissal. Now nobody seems to know anything about Harvey Weinstein, impeller of career of Quentin Tarantino and producer of films like Shakespeare in Love or Artist.

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The storm erupted on Thursday, when New York Times published a large report on Weinstein's hidden face as a sexual predator. Among details, which in at least eight occasions, from mid-1990s to 2015, producer has reached out-of-court agreements with his victims of harassment and abuse, which in exchange for money have been silent. A secretary, three assistants, actresses, models ... Ors did have courage to take step forward. Ashley Judd had in New York newspaper how during filming of Collector of Lovers Weinstein quoted him for a work meeting at Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. There Judd found producer who, wearing only a robe, proposed to massage her neck or if she wanted to bservarle while showering. Judd managed to flee Encerron, not like some of filmmakers ' assistants. Among those who signed se contracts of confidentiality, are actress Rose McGowan, who received 100,000 in dollars in 1997, or Italian model Ambra Battilana, last one that denounced, in 2015.

After publication of story, Weinstein sent a statement in which he apologized for his behavior, confessed to be in rapy and said: "I am trying to do things better, but I know that I still have a long journey." Finally, he announced that he was temporarily retiring from co-chair of his company The Weinstein company, which from now on solo leads his bror Bob.

But that estrangement from cinema has not silenced story. In New York Times, Judd said, "So far victims have talked about this between us, but it's time for it to be public." Many members of film industry have been retracing since Friday: How can it be that something whole industry knew has not come to light before? No victim thought that by shutting down y were allowing him to continue his abuses? McGowan herself wrote on Twitter: "Women in Hollywood, where are you?" "Your silence is deafening." Of Hollywood's great stars, only Jessica Chastain, Brie Larson, Lena Durham, and director Judd Apatow have entered debate, supporting Judd and McGowan. There have been more supporters of middle class, of good interpreters who are not from List A, like Mark Ruffalo, Ellen Barkin or Seth Rogen. The rest, quiet.

What really matters in movies

Harvey Weinstein tells that his passion for cinema started from Cryo: "I am still young man who walked two miles to Mayfair cinema, in Flushing Meadows, to see films of greats, Lelouch, Godard, Renoir and my favorite, François Truffaut," he told When he received French Legion of Honor. However, one of great enemies of Weinstein, journalist and writer Peter Biskind, refuted this beautiful story in 2004 in his legendary book Sex, Lies and Hollywood (which devasta goings of Miramax and Sundance Festival) with numerous testimonies That contradicted this film education. Biskind ensures that both institutions economically and artistically prostituted indie cinema, brand of House of Miramax, although even Weinstein always had problems with that word: "I do not think anyone goes to cinema because a film is independent," said In Madrid two years ago. "It's a label that doesn't sell that much." And I was responding to fact that if I really thought movies mattered more than a promotion campaign, "really." It is typical story of press: Magic of advertising. If not, what Escribiríais? That a film is simply good? That's a dull story. "I know what I'm saying, because I started as a journalist."

Lisa Bloom, one of Weinstein's attorneys, also specializing in sexual harassment cases, said in a statement on Thursday that her client "denies many of accusations as clearly false." And that y posed to sue newspaper. On Saturday, Bloom announced on Twitter resignation of his post, without giving any furr explanation. The night before board of Directors of Weinstein Company-formed by nine members of those who resigned three, anor refused to sign and Harvey was not summoned-had criticized first steps of Bloom's strategy. The company announced at that time (48 hours before firing) that it supported Weinstein in its temporary withdrawal and opened an internal investigation into facts, because among victims re are executives of company, like Lauren O'Connor. Interestingly, O'Connor has already drawn up an internal report in 2015 on bullying her and or partners. Anor demonstration of Weinstein's alleged hypocrisy, which gave shelve to research while continuing his image as a champion of feminist cause, producing O'Connor's documentary on sexual abuse on university campuses, or by adding this Same year to women's marches in January in protest for Trump's investiture. Over course of weekend, more victims of abuse have appeared. As he told in Huffington Post, Lauren Sivan, a news anchor, was forced ten years ago by producer to see how he masturbated in a restaurant. Liza Campbell, scriptwriter and artist, has told Sunday Times how 20 years ago producer invited him to ba with him, and that he managed to escape from Savoy hotel room, which he had summoned when he announced that he was leaving company.

Weinstein (New York, 1952) has always sailed through seas of controversies. With his bror Bob, it created Miramax-name that merges that of its parents, Miriam and Max-in 1979, with which y revolutionized indie cinema in years 80. After selling company to Disney (overwhelmed by debts), y were dismissed from it in 2005 and founded Weinstein company. In that way y have achieved more than 80 Oscars and about 350 candidacies for Hollywood awards, including foreign films y distributed in USA. His name is behind success of Artist, life is Beautiful, tiger and Dragon, Cinema Paradiso, English Patient, Iron Lady or Shakespeare in Love, who reported, as producer, only Oscar won by himself. The Weinsteins boosted careers of indie film creators of 1980s, such as Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino (his pretty boy) or Kevin Smith, who ended up Repudiándolo. Because Weinstein considers himself a filmmaker, and Smith ended up having enough of his pressures. In Hollywood producer is known as Punisher or Harvey Scissorhands, for his tendency to go back to movies that matters to USA without consulting directors.

The Academy of Hollywood has changed its rules several times to curb its aggressive campaigns in Oscars. He himself was behind promotion for figurines of Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Lawrence or Gwyneth Paltrow. In spite of that, two years ago in a visit to Madrid he said: "The important thing is not marketing, but films." Today, in his temporary retirement that Variety points to definitive, he will need his best promotional campaign.