The New York Times Published A Bombshell Exposé On Film Titan Harvey Weinstein

Today, the New York Times published an extensively researched piece alleging that Harvey Weinstein, the famed movie producer, sexually harassed actresses, employees, models, and interns. The allegations go back three decades.

Actress Ashley Judd went on the record to state that Weinstein sexually harassed her 20 years ago. He reportedly invited her to a hotel in Beverly Hills for what she assumed was a "breakfast meeting." When she arrived, he was wearing bathrobe. He asked Judd to watch him in the shower and give him a massage. "How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?" she told the Times. Judd linked to the story on her Twitter account.

The Times further reports that in 1997, Weinstein settled with actress Rose McGowan for $100,000 — this settlement was previously undisclosed and along with the preceding lawsuit. The Times reviewed the legal documents, which state that settlement is "not to be construed as an admission" but was meant to "avoid litigation and buy peace." In 2016, Rose McGowan tweeted that she raped by a Hollywood executive, using the hashtag #WhyWomenDontReport. It is not known if McGowan was referring to Weinstein — she declined to speak to the Times.

In 2015, an employee of Weinstein's company bravely wrote a letter to executives to discuss the workplace's alleged sexual harassment — now 28-year-old Lauren O'Connor. She agreed to recant her complaint when she received an undisclosed settlement from the Hollywood magnate. The Times reports that while the recipients of the memo where initially outraged, they later decided not to investigate the allegations.

Weinstein immediately released a statement in response to the Times' article. He does not explicitly deny the allegations, instead writing that "I came of age in the 60’s and 70’s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then...I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it." He then misquoted a Jay-Z lyric and changed the subject to the National Rifle Association.

A reporter at the Times tweeted that Harvey Weinstein is suing the New York Times over the story. This was confirmed by the Hollywood Reporter.

In a statement to THR through his attorney Charles Harder (best known for representing Hulk Hogan in the lawsuit that brought down Gawker), he says "The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein. It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by nine different eyewitnesses. We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women’s organizations."