The casting shower

The New York Times yesterday:

An investigation by The New York Times found previously undisclosed allegations against Mr. Weinstein stretching over nearly three decades, documented through interviews with current and former employees and film industry workers, as well as legal records, emails and internal documents from the businesses he has run, Miramax and the Weinstein Company.

During that time, after being confronted with allegations including sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact, Mr. Weinstein has reached at least eight settlements with women, according to two company officials speaking on the condition of anonymity. Among the recipients, The Times found, were a young assistant in New York in 1990, an actress in 1997, an assistant in London in 1998, an Italian model in 2015 and Ms. O’Connor shortly after, according to records and those familiar with the agreements.

He gave a statement to the Times saying the way he’s behaved with “colleagues” (actually underlings, over whom he had all the power) has “caused a lot of pain.” The statement of course does not specify (aka admit) the behavior. “Behavior” is such a conveniently neutral word. He said he sincerely apologizes…but how sincere can an apology that evasive and self-protecting be? “I’m sorry I did something that you – my colleague – didn’t like.” Well what was the something? Forgetting a birthday? Or demanding sexual favors as a condition of employment?

Dozens of Mr. Weinstein’s former and current employees, from assistants to top executives, said they knew of inappropriate conduct while they worked for him. Only a handful said they ever confronted him.

Mr. Weinstein enforced a code of silence; employees of the Weinstein Company have contracts saying they will not criticize it or its leaders in a way that could harm its “business reputation” or “any employee’s personal reputation,” a recent document shows. And most of the women accepting payouts agreed to confidentiality clauses prohibiting them from speaking about the deals or the events that led to them.

Just standard, the executives say. Not evidence of wrongdoing. Move along.

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