Variety just posted this story today: http://variety.com/2017/film/news/harvey-weinstein-sexual-new-york-times-1202580605/.
Mods, this is PIZZAGATE-related because Hollywood is allegedly a hub of child exploitation and pedophilia, and this story states that that one of Hollywood's biggest moguls is preparing for some very unflattering publicity regarding his alleged sexual proclivities. Furthermore, the author of one of the stories that Variety claims are about to be published is none other than Attorney Ronan Farrow, who is the son of actress Mia Farrow and either Woody Allen or possibly Frank Sinatra. Ronan Farrow's adopted sister is a victim of Woody Allen's pedophilia. Farrow is an outspoken attorney who hates child abuse and his upcoming stories will likely paint an ugly picture of Mr. Weinstein. I can think of no one better qualified to write a cogent, articulate, and compelling hit piece on the inner workings of Hollywood than Attorney Ronan Farrow. The text of the Variety article follows below.
Harvey Weinstein has hired a high-powered team of attorneys to push back on soon-to-be-published bombshell stories from the New York Times and the New Yorker detailing sexual allegations and improper workplace behavior against him. Some women making the charges are believed to be on the record.
Weinstein, the indie mogul and founder of the Weinstein Company, has retained star litigator David Boies, as well as attorneysLisa Bloom and Charles Harder in an effort to rebut the claims. Jodi Kantor, an investigative reporter who wrote about harsh working conditions at Amazon, is working on the story for the Times, along with Megan Twohey, who wrote a piece about Weinstein’s questionable charitable work for amfAR, a charity involved with AIDS research. Ronan Farrow, the former MSNBC host, is doing the story for the New Yorker, according to multiple individuals with knowledge of the situation. One individual said that at least one of the stories could be published as early as this week.
In a brief interview on Wednesday, Weinstein declined to comment on the charges.
“I’ve not been aware of this,” he said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, honestly.”
When asked if the publications had called him for comment, Weinstein replied that he was too busy in the editing room working on “The Current War,” an upcoming historical drama, to know the answer to that question, adding that he’d had a “crazy day.”
"Why don’t I get, since I must have these high-priced lawyers, let me get them back to talk to you,” said Weinstein.
Weinstein later issued a statement through a spokesperson, as did Bloom. “The story sounds so good I want to buy the movie rights,” said Weinstein.
“Harvey Weinstein is obviously excellent at assembling a legal team,” said Bloom.
The Weinstein Co. is bracing for the impact of the stories, but most employees are largely unaware of the details. Weinstein is trying to retain the services of Lanny Davis, a former special counsel to President Bill Clinton, to help advise him on public relations strategy, according to one insider. He has also reached out to several crisis PR firms in recent weeks.
A spokesperson for the New York Times declined to comment. A spokesperson for the New Yorker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Weinstein Company’s films include Oscar-winners such as “The Artist” and “The King’s Speech,” as well as box office hits such as “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Django Unchained.”
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anotherdream ago
Totally agree with @migratorypatterns the NYT was responsible for some of the most egregious and blatant disinformation during the elections, and does anybody really know how long before that? I find it incredibly hard to believe that NYT would be hanging one of their own unless they are either A) trying to side up before the real shit hits the fan with all the investigations or B) throw a big slimy one under the bus as a distraction - offering him up to the mob. I'm highly suspicious. NYT = flaming garbage pile of lies
SecondAmendment ago
I agree with you @anotherdream and @migratorypatterns. The New York Times is run by the globalists and they hate America. So I think your assessment -- i.e., that the NYT scumbags are trying to side up before the real shit hits the fan -- is quite encouraging. We all know that Pizzagate, Pedogate, or whatever one wants to call it is quite real. I give Attorney Ronan Farrow a ton of credit, and let's not forget that he's been consistently blowing the whistle on Hollywood pedophiles for years. Here's a story he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter last year (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/my-father-woody-allen-danger-892572)). It's too long for me to post it here (with Voat's 10,0000 character maximum) so I'll just quote some of the highlights to reassure us all that Ronan Farrow gets it. Indeed, this guy gets it.
My Father, Woody Allen, and the Danger of Questions Unasked (Guest Column) 3:00 AM PDT 5/11/2016 by Ronan Farrow
Despite Dylan Farrow's damning allegations of sexual abuse, the director of Cannes' opening film today remains beloved by stars, paid by Amazon and rarely interrogated by media as his son, Ronan Farrow, writes about the culture of acquiescence surrounding his father.
Some reporters have drawn connections between the press' grudging evolution on Cosby and a painful chapter in my own family's history. It was shortly before the Cosby story exploded anew that my sister Dylan Farrow wrote about her own experiences — alleging that our father, Woody Allen, had "groomed" her with inappropriate touching as a young girl and sexually assaulted her when she was 7 years old.
Being in the media as my sister's story made headlines, and Woody Allen's PR engine revved into action, gave me a window into just how potent the pressure can be to take the easy way out. Every day, colleagues at news organizations forwarded me the emails blasted out by Allen's powerful publicist, who had years earlier orchestrated a robust publicity campaign to validate my father's sexual relationship with another one of my siblings. Those emails featured talking points ready-made to be converted into stories, complete with validators on offer — therapists, lawyers, friends, anyone willing to label a young woman confronting a powerful man as crazy, coached, vindictive. At first, they linked to blogs, then to high-profile outlets repeating the talking points — a self-perpetuating spin machine.
. . . .
I had worked hard to distance myself from my painfully public family history and wanted my work to stand on its own. So I had avoided commenting on my sister's allegations for years and, when cornered, cultivated distance, limiting my response to the occasional line on Twitter. My sister's decision to step forward came shortly after I began work on a book and a television series. It was the last association I wanted. Initially, I begged my sister not to go public again and to avoid speaking to reporters about it. I'm ashamed of that, too. With sexual assault, anything's easier than facing it in full, saying all of it, facing all of the consequences. Even now, I hesitated before agreeing to The Hollywood Reporter's invitation to write this piece, knowing it could trigger another round of character assassination against my sister, my mother or me.
But when Dylan explained her agony in the wake of powerful voices sweeping aside her allegations, the press often willing to be taken along for the ride, and the fears she held for young girls potentially being exposed to a predator — I ultimately knew she was right. **I began to speak about her more openly, particularly on social media. And I began to look carefully at my own decisions in covering sexual assault stories. ** **I believe my sister. **This was always true as a brother who trusted her, and, even at 5 years old, was troubled by our father's strange behavior around her: climbing into her bed in the middle of the night, forcing her to suck his thumb — behavior that had prompted him to enter into therapy focused on his inappropriate conduct with children prior to the allegations.
But more importantly, I've approached the case as an attorney and a reporter, and found her allegations to be credible. The facts are persuasive and well documented. I won't list them again here, but most have been meticulously reported by journalist Maureen Orth in Vanity Fair. The only final legal disposition is a custody ruling that found Woody Allen's behavior "grossly inappropriate" and stressed that "measures must be taken to protect [Dylan]."
Here is exactly what charges not being pursued looked like in my sister's case in 1993: The prosecutor met with my mother and sister. Dylan already was deeply traumatized — by the assault and the subsequent legal battle that forced her to repeat the story over and over again. (And she did tell her story repeatedly, without inconsistency, despite the emotional toll it took on her.) The longer that battle, the more grotesque the media circus surrounding my family grew. My mother and the prosecutor decided not to subject my sister to more years of mayhem. In a rare step, the prosecutor announced publicly that he had "probable cause" to prosecute Allen, and attributed the decision not to do so to "the fragility of the child victim."
My mother still feels it was the only choice she could make to protect her daughter. But it is ironic: My mother's decision to place Dylan's well-being above all else became a means for Woody Allen to smear them both.
Very often, women with allegations do not or cannot bring charges. Very often, those who do come forward pay dearly, facing off against a justice system and a culture designed to take them to pieces. A reporter's role isn't to carry water for those women. But it is our obligation to include the facts, and to take them seriously. Sometimes, we're the only ones who can play that role.
Confronting a subject with allegations from women or children, not backed by a simple, dispositive legal ruling is hard. It means having those tough newsroom conversations, making the case for burning bridges with powerful public figures. It means going up against angry fans and angry publicists.
There are more reporters than ever showing that courage, and more outlets supporting them. Many are of a new generation, freed from the years of access journalism that can accrete around older publications. BuzzFeed has done pioneering reporting on recent Hollywood sexual assault stories. It was Gawker that asked why allegations against Bill Cosby weren't taken more seriously. And it is heartening that The Hollywood Reporter asked me to write this response. Things are changing.
But the old-school media's slow evolution has helped to create a culture of impunity and silence. Amazon paid millions to work with Woody Allen, bankrolling a new series and film. Actors, including some I admire greatly, continue to line up to star in his movies. "It's not personal," one once told me. But it hurts my sister every time one of her heroes like Louis C.K., or a star her age, like Miley Cyrus, works with Woody Allen. Personal is exactly what it is — for my sister, and for women everywhere with allegations of sexual assault that have never been vindicated by a conviction.
Tonight, the Cannes Film Festival kicks off with a new Woody Allen film. There will be press conferences and a red-carpet walk by my father and his wife (my sister). He'll have his stars at his side — Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg. They can trust that the press won't ask them the tough questions. It's not the time, it's not the place, it's just not done.
That kind of silence isn't just wrong. It's dangerous. It sends a message to victims that it's not worth the anguish of coming forward. It sends a message about who we are as a society, what we'll overlook, who we'll ignore, who matters and who doesn't.
**We are witnessing a sea change in how we talk about sexual assault and abuse. But there is more work to do to build a culture where women like my sister are no longer treated as if they are invisible. It's time to ask some hard questions. **
migratorypatterns ago
Thanks and thanks for this also. Dylan Farrow was put through hell. Even now when someone brings up what she said, there's always some stupid comment like, "I really don't know what to think!" WHAT?!!!! How the hell does anyone not know what to think when this victim is now all grown up and stated in no uncertain terms what happened?!!!! It's bad enough being dismissed as a child, but even now they're gaslighting that girl?!!!
It's so disgustng and bless Ronan for his staunch defense. I agree so wholeheartedly that it's so much easier to go along with the false narratives. It's why I admire people like him who insist on the truth and justice being done.