Filmmaker Provides A Look Into Harvey Weinstein's Disturbing Casting Practices

As more women come forward with allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, others who have worked closely with him are sharing their insights, too. One of those people is filmmaker Michael Caton-Jones, who told BuzzFeed News that Weinstein replaced a lead role with someone he deemed more "fuckable."

Caton-Jones, who briefly worked with Weinstein on the 1998 film B. Monkey, said he originally had wanted to cast Sophie Okonedo for the lead role, but when he approached the film titan with his decision "trouble began."

"Harvey kept saying to me, 'Do you think she is fuckable?'" Caton-Jones recalled to BuzzFeed News. "That was what the deal was all the time. I said, 'She is the best actress for the job, Harvey.' And we started arguing about it. It was only when I said to Harvey, 'Don't screw up the casting of this film because you want to get laid,' whereupon he went mental."

Caton-Jones said he was "kicked off" the film following the volatile meeting. Then, he claimed he told Variety about "the harassment claims" against Weinstein and said, "Here's your quote: I don't cast films according to Harvey Weinstein's erection.'" Nothing came of the interview, and a spokesman for Variety told BuzzFeed News that the company couldn't "comment on previous editorial practices."

Later, director Michael Radford joined the project and cast Asia Argento, who recently alleged that Weinstein raped her around that same time.

Caton-Jones isn't the only person who has claimed he knew about Weinstein's history of sexual harassment and assault. In 2005, singer Courtney Love publicly warned women about the high-profile predator, a bold action that she now claims got her banned by CAA. Celebrities such as Rose McGowan, Seth MacFarlane, Argento, and others have also publicly spoken about his behavior, and now, we have reason to believe that Weinstein Company leaders may have been protecting him from legal trouble all along.

It's time we start taking allegations – and women – seriously if we want to put an end to rape culture.