Hollywood Turns Viciously Against Harvey Weinstein

Now that film exec Harvey Weinstein has been fired from his company over allegations of widespread sexual harassment, many Hollywood actors and filmmakers are expressing their disgust with Weinstein, despite the fact that they had happily worked with him for decades. Meryl Streep, who worked with Weinstein on August: Osage County and other films, called Weinstein "disgraceful" this week but claimed ignorance about the" disgraceful" behavior that allegedly stretches back more than three decades. Filmmaker Kevin Smith, many of whose films were financed by Weinstein's company, now says he is ashamed to have worked with Weinstein and also says the allegations come as a surprise to him.

However, one of Weinstein's accusers, actress Ashley Judd, says that the behavior was commonly discussed among women in Hollywood for "a long time." The New York Times says that "dozens" of Weinstein's current and former employees knew of the behavior but very few ever explicitly confronted it.

Via Page Six.

Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep condemned the alleged conduct that spurred scathing sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein as “disgraceful” and “inexcusable” — but insisted she knew nothing about the disgraced mogul’s disgusting behavior, according to a statement Monday.

Streep worked with the ousted movie mogul — who was fired from his Weinstein Company Sunday night by its board of directors — on the films “August: Osage County” and “The Iron Lady,” which earned her a third Oscar in 2012.

“The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported,” Streep said in a statement to the Huffington Post. “The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes.”

The 68-year-old actress denied knowing anything about Harvey’s alleged horndog behavior with female actresses and underlings, which reportedly included making them watch him shower, requesting massages and even masturbating in front of a TV reporter.

“One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew. Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally,” she continued. “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.”

Get the rest of the story at Page Six.

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