Harvey Weinstein is a popular film producer, known for films such as Pulp Fiction, The Crying Game, and Shakespeare in Love. He has been publicly thanked by popular actors for their success in the film industry. Recently, however, many famous female stars have been coming out with sexual assault and rape allegations against Weinstein. These stars include Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Asia Argento. Many stories include the actresses being invited to his suite, only to find him completely nude or wearing a bath robe. If they denied his advances, he generally made threats hinting that their career would be over, which was the case for some. For others, their interactions with Weinstein caused them to ditch acting altogether. Weinstein has denied all allegations.

It was supposedly a well-known secret in Hollywood that engaging in sexual acts with Weinstein could make or break a career, but only recently has this become public knowledge. Many artists have since spoken against him, and he was recently expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Quentin Tarantino, Weinstein’s colleague, has come out claiming to have prior knowledge of the allegations. A former girl friend of Tarantino, Mira Sorvino, confided in him that she had experienced unwanted physical contact with Weinstein. Tarantino now regrets that instead of cutting off contact, he continued to produce movies with Weinstein. He heard other similar stories throughout the years, but again was reluctant to take action. “What I did was marginalize the incidents,” Tarantino says. “Anything I say now will sound like a crappy excuse.”

While Weinstein has been revealed for using his power to get what he wanted, these kinds of incidents are still happening every day in Hollywood. It is likely that, following the popularity of this scandal, more women will finally come out against their abusers. It can only be hoped that people start to take a stand against the perpetrators of this violence.

Sources: The Guardian, New York Times