The Harvey Weinstein scandal traces back to 70s

Image obtained through Google Commons.

Since the New York Times and New Yorker published reports disclosing decades worth of alleged sexual harassment and assault by producer Harvey Weinstein tracing back to the 1970s, 78 women have come forward with similar claims against Weinstein, according to USA Today.

The evidence released by The New York Times concerning the allegations against Weinstein included emails, legal records and internal documents from Weinstein’s businesses, Miramax and Weinstein Company. There are also interviews with both current and former employees of said businesses and film industry workers.

Cara Delevingne, the 25-year-old English actress and model who stared in “Valerian” and “Tulip Fever”, wrote in an Instagram post and statement to New York Magazine and Huffington Post, “As soon as we were alone he began to brag about all the actresses he had slept with and how he had made their careers and spoke about other inappropriate things of a sexual nature.”

In a statement to People, actress and producer Julia Roberts spoke out regarding the Weinstein scandal stating, “We’ve heard this infuriating, heartbreaking story countless times before. And now here we go again. I stand firm in the hope that we will finally come together as a society to stand up against this kind of predatory behavior, to help victims find their voices and their healing, and to stop it once and for all.”

In an interview with the New York Times, former president of Miramax Los Angeles, when Disney owned the company, Mark Gill stated, “From the outside, it seemed golden — the Oscars, the success, the remarkable cultural impact.”

Referencing Weinstein’s actions towards women, Gill added, “But behind the scenes, it was a mess, and this was the biggest mess of all.”

The reports ultimately led to the resignation of one-third of the Weinstein Company’s all-male board and to Weinstein’s firing, reported newyorker.com.

In addition, the Marchesa fashion designer Georgina Chapman, who married Weinstein in 2007, previously stated she was standing by her husband throughout the accusations but has now chosen to leave him, revealed variety.com.