Kate Winslet has become the latest actress to come out against movie executive and Democrat mega-donor Harvey Weinstein, four days after The New York Times reported on a string of allegations of sexual harassment against him going back decades.
Winslet, who won the Best Actress Oscar in 2009 for her role in the Weinstein-produced film The Reader, described the allegations as “disgraceful and appalling.”
“The fact that these women are starting to speak out about the gross misconduct of one of our most important and well-regarded film producers, is incredibly brave and has been deeply shocking to hear,” Winslet told Variety. “The way Harvey Weinstein has treated these vulnerable, talented young women is NOT the way women should ever EVER deem to be acceptable or commonplace in ANY workplace.”
Winslet continued:
I have no doubt that for these women this time has been, and continues to be extremely traumatic. I fully embrace and salute their profound courage, and I unequivocally support this level of very necessary exposure of someone who has behaved in reprehensible and disgusting ways. His behaviour is without question disgraceful and appalling and very, very wrong. I had hoped that these kinds of stories were just made up rumors, maybe we have all been naïve. And it makes me so angry. There must be ‘no tolerance’ of this degrading, vile treatment of women in ANY workplace anywhere in the world.
On Monday, actress Meryl Streep also criticized Weinstein for his “abuse of power,” but claimed that she was not aware of the extent of the misconduct.
“The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported. The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes,” Streep said in a statement.“I didn’t know about these other offenses: I did not know about his financial settlements with actresses and colleagues; I did not know about his having meetings in his hotel room, his bathroom, or other inappropriate, coercive acts.”
Other Hollywood A-listers, including Matt Damon and Russell Crowe, were reported to have been involved in Weinstein’s saga by lobbying the Times to kill a similar story as far back as 2004.
On Sunday, Weinstein was fired from his role at the Weinstein Company over the sexual harassment allegations. He has also threatened to sue the New York Times for “reckless reporting,” although has admitted to a “whole way of behavior that is not good.”
“I can’t talk specifics, but I put myself in positions that were stupid, I want to respect women and do things better,” Weinstein said last week.
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