The entertainment industry is currently experiencing a watershed moment. Following an exposé on Harvey Weinstein, many people have come forward with stories about Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, Ed Westwick, and, unfortunately, many others. While the stories about other men in Hollywood are serious, disturbing, and illegal, Weinstein seems to dominate the media reports. This may be because of the length of time he has been abusing his power, the lengths he went to in order to keep women quite, or his dominate role in Hollywood for the past three decades.
If you weren’t someone working in the entertainment industry, you may have not specifically known what Harvey Weinstein looked like before all the articles recently published. However, you definitely saw some of his movies. In 1994, both Weinstein produced Pulp Fiction, a film that is credited with changing the storytelling of narrative films forever. He had produced ‘90s classics like Scream, She’s All That, and many others. But what Weinstein is really known for is winning Oscars. He produced Oscar-winning films such as Good Will Hunting, Shakespeare in Love, Cold Mountain, The Reader, The King’s Speech, Silver Linings Playbook, and so many more. The truly disappointing turn of events is that Weinstein helped so many actresses earn their first Academy Award, like Jennifer Lawrence, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, and many others. Though, it seems that Weinstein had used his history with helping push actress’ into fame, success, and notoriety to his advantage.
Enough about Weinstein. Instead, we’re going to celebrate all the brave, strong, talented women who have spoken out against him. Below are some of his accusers, with both information about their impressive careers and quotes about their experiences with Weinstein.
18 Cara Delevingne: It was Weinstein who encouraged her to keep her personal orientation under wraps, as it would, according to him, cost her her career
At only 25 years old, Cara Delevingne has now been in the spotlight for nearly a decade. Long before her career in the entertainment industry, Delevingne took the fashion industry by storm, as everyone was enamored by Delevingne’s strong eyebrows and bold features. Delevingne walked in major fashion shows and also landed campaigns with brands such as Burberry, Chanel, and Fendi. In 2012, Delevingne won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.
With success in the fashion industry, Delevingne changed gears and started working in the entertainment industry. It was while working in the entertainment industry that Delevingne had a run in with Weinstein, who encouraged her to keep her sexual orientation under wraps, as it would, according to him, cost her her career.
Delevingne turned down both Weinstein’s advances and advice. Since then, Delevingne had landed herself dozens of roles, including playing the villain in DC’s Suicide Squad.
17 Angelina Jolie: "I chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did"
You guys know Angelina Jolie. Even if she’s stepped out of the limelight as of lately, she’s still one of Hollywood’s biggest and brightest stars.
Jolie rose to fame in the late ‘90s with roles in films such as The Bone Collector and Girl, Interrupted, the latter of which she won Academy Award for her performance. The 2000s saw Jolie star in the Lara Croft franchise and the action film that would change life as we know it: Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Yes, the movie that started the Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt/Jennifer Aniston love triangle that is STILL being talked about today. (I’m sure they’ve all moved on, guys.) While Jolie is still in high demand as an actress, she has the power to be much more particular in choosing her roles. Jolie's also made the leap into directing.
On top success with both commercially successful and critically acclaimed films, Jolie has devoted much of her time to humanitarian work around the world. Basically, she's an all-round perfect human being.
Of her experience with Weinstein, Jolie kept it brief but telling with this statement: “I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did. This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.”
16 Ashley Judd: "I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times..."
Ashley Judd has had a long acting career spanning many decades. In the ‘90s, Judd rose to fame by starring in action films such as Heat, Kiss the Girls, and Double Jeopardy. Judd often played independent, tough female characters. In the 2000s, Judd starred in some softer, more romantic films like Where the Heart Is and Someone Like You. Recently, Judd has appeared in the Divergent franchise.
On top of that Judd, has been busy with humanitarian work and activism. She’s met with leaders about policy changes and also given speeches on humanitarian topics.
Like many of the other women who have come forward, Weinstein requested a massage while he had Judd alone in a hotel room. Of the incident, Judd said, “I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask.”
15 Lena Headey: Weinstein was “furious” at the rejection
Lena Headey is now most known for playing Cersei Lannister on HBO’s hit Game of Thrones. While playing the ambitious manipulator vying for the Iron Throne, Headey has routinely been nominated for Golden Globes and Emmy Awards for her performance. Though, Headey already had quite the career before stepping into the role of Cersei Lannister. In 2006, Headey starred in the blockbuster hit 300. Headey also starred in the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Through her list of roles, it's clear that Headey enjoys playing strong, ambitious female characters.
Headey took to Twitter to reveal numerous run ins she had with Weinstein, all of which she turned down. Headey reported that Weinstein was “furious” at the rejection and told her, “Don’t tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent.”
14 Jessica Barth: "Once he told me if I ever wanted to compete with people like Mila Kunis that I would need to lose 10 pounds"
Jessica Barth has been steadily working since the 2000s, with appearances in How I Met Your Mother, Get Smart, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Parks and Recreation. Barth also did voicework on Family Guy. Her breakout role came in 2012’s Ted, in which Barth played Tami-Lynn. Tami-Lynn was the cashier who became the love interest of vulgar Ted… Yes, the teddy bear. Barth then reprised the role in 2015’s Ted 2.
Barth revealed her run in with Weinstein occurred in 2011, when he requested she join him in a hotel room. Like other allegations, Barth tells of Weinstein requesting massages while simultaneously offering her roles in films. Barth said, “Once he told me if I ever wanted to compete with people like Mila Kunis that I would need to lose 10 pounds, I pretty much had it at that point.”
13 Eva Green: "I got away without it going further, but the experience left me shocked and disgusted"
French actress Eva Green achieved international fame in 2006 for her portrayal of Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. Following that, Green appeared in 2014’s 300: Rise of an Empire and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. She also appeared in Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Green ran into Weinstein during a business meeting in Paris. When stories of Weinstein’s behavior were being brought to light, Green’s mother made comments to the press about her daughter’s run in with Weinstein. This pushed Green to come forward, which she did by saying, “I wish to address comments made by my mother in a recent interview regarding Harvey Weinstein. I met him for a business meeting in Paris where he behaved inappropriately and I had to push him off. I got away without it going further, but the experience left me shocked and disgusted.”
12 Kate Beckinsale: her allegations against Weinstein occurred when she was just 17 years old
You may know Kate Beckinsale as the English actress who has literally not aged in 20 years. Beckinsale came to wide fame in 2001, when she starred in the emotional Pearl Harbor and romantic Serendipity. Basically, all women everywhere were crying to Beckinsale’s movies in 2001.
Following this, Beckinsale became the face of the Underworld franchise. In 2016, Beckinsale starred in the Jane Austen adaptation Love & Friendship, for which she gained much critical praise for her performance.
Beckinsale’s allegations against Weinstein occurred when she was just 17 years old. Beckinsale took to Instagram to tell of meeting Weinstein in a hotel room and being offered alcohol when she was just a teenager. She went on to say that she rebuffed his advances through the years, which she feels hindered her career.
Of the ordeals, Beckinsale said Weinstein made a public joke of it and would laughingly tell people (unaware of the incidents) that Beckinsale “lives to say no to me.”
11 Julianna Margulies: "When he opened the door, he was wearing a bathrobe and candles were lit"
You may know Julianna Margulies as the actress who stars in your mom’s favorite shows, but they are also really good shows.
Margulies appeared in an impressive 136 episodes of E.R. While no cast member appeared in all 331 episodes, Margulies did appear in a good bit of the series, as she was also one of the original cast members. After stepping away from E.R. in 2000, Margulies appeared in the cinematic masterpiece Snakes on a Plane. Thankfully, Margulies found a role that was perfect her shortly after. In 2009, Margulies joined The Good Wife as Alicia Florrick. And yeah, your mom might really like The Good Wife, but it’s also a good show if you’re into courtroom drama and steamy love triangles. And really, who isn’t into those two things?
During her career, Margulies has been nominated for Golden Globes and Emmy Awards numerous times, with her winning one Golden Globe and three Emmys.
Margulies’ incident with Weinstein happened in 1996, when she was starring on E.R. An assistant accompanied her to Weinstein’s hotel room. When he opened the door, he was wearing a bathrobe and candles were lit. Upon seeing the assistant though, Margulies recounts that he simply congratulated her on a good audition and slammed the door in her face. Safety in numbers, y'all.
10 Lupita Nyong’o: Hotel rooms, massages, promises of roles
As a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Lupita Nyong'o is one of the most talented young actresses in Hollywood. Nyong'o rose to quick fame through her role in 2013’s 12 Years A Slave. Even though it was her first feature film, Nyong'o won an Oscar for stunning performance.
Following her Academy Award win, Nyong'o has been appearing in some of the biggest films of this era. In 2015, she appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will be reprising her role in this year’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In 2016, she voiced Raksha in The Jungle Book. In 2018, fans can see her in Marvel’s Black Panther. Oh, and she’s also rumored to be starring in 2019’s Charlie’s Angels. Like I said, some of the biggest films of this era.
Nyong'o’s run in with Weinstein happened before all of this fame and success. While she was still a student, Weinstein allegedly pursued Nyong'o in the same manner of the other accusations: hotel rooms, massages, promises of roles. Nyong'o turned him down, thinking it would hinder her career.
The next time Nyong'o saw Weinstein was at the Toronto Film Festival, where 12 Years A Slave was screened. Weinstein apologized to her, but Nyong'o still refused to work with him.
9 Brit Marling: Because she had created projects for herself, she felt powerful
Brit Marling has been an indie darling for years. In 2011, she wrote and starred in Sound of My Voice, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. That same year, she also wrote and starred in Another Earth, which ALSO premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Marling had been busy, y’all.
Following a blockbuster year at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Marling wrote and starred in 2013’s The East, which also starred Alexander Skarsgård and Ellen Page. In 2016, Marling created and starred in The OA, which premiered on Netflix.
Marling’s accusations against Weinstein occurred in the same manner as many of the other accusations. There was a hotel room, champagne, and talk of massages. Marling left the hotel room and cried. She recently published an essay in which she explained the only reason she had the strength to leave that situation was because she’s a writer. Because she had created projects for herself, she felt powerful. Meanwhile, some of the actresses who don’t write, produce, or direct may have been more torn in such situations, as getting certain roles is what their livelihood depends on.
8 Sarah Polley: Polley’s publicist refused to leave Polley’s side
Like Brit Marling, Sarah Polley is also a creator. You may have seen Polley act in films such as Go, Dawn of the Dead, and Splice. Polley also appeared in HBO’s critically acclaimed mini-series John Adams. However, she hasn’t had a single acting credit since 2010. This is because she’s been spending more time behind the camera.
Polley wrote and directed 2006’s Away From Her, for which she was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award. In 2011, Polley wrote and directed Take This Waltz, which starred Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams. Polley also wrote Netflix’s Alias Grace.
Polley’s run in with Weinstein was much less abrasive than some other stories. This is in part due to Polley’s publicist, who refused to leave Polley’s side. Though, Polley did talk about Weinstein implying that he had relations with another actress and if Polley did the same it would lead to the kind of roles and awards the other actress received.
7 Mira Sorvino: he effectively stunted her career for rejecting his advances
If you’ve ever seen Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, then you already know Mira Sorvino is a gift from the comedy heavens. But her role as Romy White was only the beginning. Or rather, it was supposed to only be the beginning.
In 1995, Sorvino starred in Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite, for which she won an Academy Award. Sorvino is a solidified comedic genius with the award to prove it, but her career doesn’t necessarily reflect that. Instead of blasting off into superstardom, Sorvino simply found consistent work. This is not the type of fame for which she seemed destined. Well, her stunted career may have something to do with Weinstein.
Sorvino had a run in with Weinstein that left her shaken. She confided in a female employee at Miramax, which was Weinstein’s production company at the time. The female employee was of little help, and even seemed to be shocked that Sorvino had brought up Weinstein’s behavior. Following this incident, Sorvino was removed from Weinstein’s future projects. It’s also been alleged that Weinstein had dissuaded others from casting Sorvino, effectively stunting her career for rejecting his advances.
6 Minka Kelly: "All I knew was not to offend this very powerful man and to get out of the situation as quickly as possible"
Minka Kelly found quick fame through her role in Friday Night Lights. Playing a cheerleader on the show also quickly launched Kelly into the role of sex symbol. In 2010, Esquire even named Kelly the “Sexiest Woman Alive.”
Kelly returned the TV in NBC’s Parenthood. Kelly has also found success on the big screen with roles in films such as 500 Days of Summer, Just Go With It, and The Roommate.
During Kelly’s incident with Weinstein, Kelly alleges that Weinstein asked her to be his girlfriend. Yes, all while he was married. Weinstein supposedly offered trips around the world in private planes and great film roles if she were to accept his offer. Of the incident, Kelly said, “All I knew was not to offend this very powerful man and to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. I told him while flattered, I’d like to keep things professional.”
After that, Weinstein warned her against telling anyone. Kelly said she told her agent, but otherwise heeded his warning.
5 Connie Nielsen: she squeezed his hand and placed it back on his own lap
Connie Nielsen has had a long and successful career in the entertainment industry. Nielsen appeared in the Oscar-winning Gladiator as well as the Robin Williams thriller One Hour Photo. Most recently, Nielsen played Hippolyta in 2017’s Wonder Woman. She’s also set to reprise this role in Justice League.
Back in 2005, Nielsen dealt with an uncomfortable Weinstein situation. At the premiere of The Great Raid, a Weinstein-produced film in which Nielsen appeared, Weinstein placed his hand on Nielsen’s thigh. Nielsen, who had thought she was safe in the presence of others including her boyfriend and brother, squeezed his hand and placed it back on his own lap.
While Nielsen didn’t face some of the other behavior that the women did, the fact that Weinstein touched her thigh without consent, all in a very public space, is noteworthy.
4 Claire Forlani: "...I escaped 5 times"
In the ‘90s, Claire Forlani seemed to be on her way to the top. She appeared in the indie classic Mallrats and also starred in Meet Joe Black alongside Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. Following this time, Forlani has steadily worked in Hollywood. Her most recent gig was on Hawaii Five-O.
It was way back in 2000 that Forlani met Weinstein. She had been cast in Miramax’s Boys and Girls. Of the meetings, Forlani recalled, “You see, nothing happened to me with Harvey — by that I mean, I escaped 5 times. I had two Peninsula Hotel meetings in the evening with Harvey and all I remember was I ducked, dived and ultimately got out of there without getting slobbered over, well just a bit. Yes, a massage was suggested. The three dinners with Harvey I don’t really remember the time period, I was 25.”
Forlani had been approached to talk about her experience in an exposé. She initially said yes, but ultimately turned it down after several men she’s close to advised her to turn it down. She now says she regrets not being a part of the exposé.
3 Gwyneth Paltrow: "I thought [he was] my Uncle Harvey"
Gwyneth Paltrow was a ’90 sensation. Appearing in Se7en, Emma, Sliding Doors, Great Expectations, A Perfect Murder, and finally Shakespeare in Love for which she won an Oscar. On top of that, she also dated Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck, so she was basically the queen of the ‘90s.
Since then, Paltrow continued to act, though she mostly appeared in indie films such as The Royal Tenenbaums, Sylvia, Two Lovers, and Thanks For Sharing. However, she did return to the blockbuster scene with 2008’s Iron Man, which she followed up by appeared in numerous Marvel films. Paltrow also launched GOOP, which has become a flourishing online community, so much so that its expanded into a print magazine.
Though, it was before Paltrow attained this success and this power that she had her run in with Weinstein. Paltrow revealed that Weinstein massaged her and invited her back to his hotel room, which she turned down. Of the incident, Paltrow was reportedly shocked because she thought of Weinstein as a mentor. She said, “I thought [he was] my Uncle Harvey.”
2 Paz de la Huerta: the only case the NYPD can use to possibly convict Weinstein
Paz de la Huerta had grown up working in the entertainment industry. In her teenage years, she appeared in The Cider House Rules, Riding in Cars with Boys, and A Walk to Remember.
2009 was a landmark years for the young actress, as she had landed a role in the critically acclaimed Enter the Void and HBO’s new drama Boardwalk Empire. Unfortunately, it was around this time that the actress had a run in with Weinstein, after which she said, “I laid there feeling sick. He looked at me and said, ‘I’ll put you in a play.’ He left and I never heard from him again. He knew he had done a bad thing.”
Paz de la Huerta reports that she became very self destructive and indulging in drinking to feel better. Huerta feels her self destructive behavior resulted in her Boardwalk Empire contract not being renewed.
The only silver lining may be that Paz de la Huerta’s case is the only case the NYPD can use to possibly convict Weinstein.
1 Rose McGowan: She has even called out men who were accomplices, like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon
Through Weinstein’s fall, by far the most vocal person has been Rose McGowan.
McGowan quickly found fame in the ‘90s, during which time she starred in Scream and had one of the most iconic horror movie deaths of all time. I mean, no one will ever forget that garage door scene. McGowan continued starring in offbeat dark teen films, like Jawbreaker in which she played the meanest mean girl ever. Yes, meaner than Regina George. McGowan then went on to star in Charmed for five years. In recent years, McGowan has stepped back from Hollywood and been vocal about her dissatisfaction with the way women in the entertainment industry are treated.
Like many of the other actresses, McGowan’s encounter with Weinstein took place in a hotel room. Afterwards, McGowan received a $100,000 settlement, but was not forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement. With the announcement this year that she was writing a memoir, McGowan was then offered $1 million in exchange for signing a nondisclosure agreement. McGowan turned down the offer and has since been a loud voice against Weinstein and the other offenders in Hollywood. She has even called out men who were accomplices, like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
In the end, Gal Gadot may have played Wonder Woman in 2017, but so did all the women on this list. They're all superheroes.
Sources: People.com, Vanityfair.com, Dailymail.co.uk, USmagazine.com, NYdailynews.com, Variety.com, Indiewire.com, NYTimes.com, Theatlantic.com, Time.com, Vulture.com, Hollywoodreporter.com
About The Author
