In light of the recent allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Smith pledged to donate his profits from his Weinstein Co.-backed movies to Women in Film, a nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in film. In addition, he will donate $2,000 a month to the charity. As per E! Online, Smith shared this news on his podcast Hollywood Babble-On last Friday.
Like many others in Hollywood, Smith's career was spearheaded by Weinstein. The disgraced film titan produced Clerks (1994), a turning point in Smith's career. Weinstein's production company that he founded with brother Bob Weinstein, Miramax, also produced Jersey Girl (2004). Smith's own production company was even called "The Harvey Boys," presumably after Weinstein. (Harvey Boys has produced only one feature so far, a flop called Red State that debuted in 2011.)
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"My entire career is tied up with the man," Smith admitted on the podcast. "Everything I did in the beginning has his name on it. And I spent many years lionizing him."
He continued, "I am not a victim in this, and this is not about me at all. But we know who the victims are. But my shit is tied up with this man." He added that his career wasn't worth the trouble Weinstein has caused.
"I know it's not my fault, I didn't fucking help, because I sat out there talking about this man like he was a hero, and like he was friend, and like he was my father... And I showed other people, like, you can dream and you can make stuff, and this man will put it out!" Smith said. "I was singing praises of somebody that I didn't fucking know."
Smith then explained that he would donate the dividends he still receives from the movies he made with Miramax. And, because dividends on Miramax films will probably grow increasingly small in the coming years, Smith will donate $2,000 a month.
"Hopefully, that just goes to people that get to make shit without having to have some fucking animal saying, 'Here's the price,'" Smith concluded.
On October 5, the New York Times published a catalogue of Weinstein's decades of sexual abuse and harassment. Days later, the New Yorker published yet another account of Weinstein's crimes. Since the two exposés, even more women have come forward to accuse Weinstein of harassment, assault, and rape. Smith is the first filmmaker to announce that he will be donating his Miramax and The Weinstein Co. dividends.
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