Your Source for NPR News & Music
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Hollywood Professionals Speak Out Against Harvey Weinstein

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Ronan Farrow spoke to 13 women who claimed harassment or assault by Harvey Weinstein. The New York Times last week found at least eight settlements paid to women who made similar allegations. As these stories have broken into the open, others in the industry are talking about Weinstein. One is Romola Garai. She told The Guardian that she couldn't be less surprised and that you can't find an actress that doesn't have that kind of story about Harvey.

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

But Meryl Streep told The Huffington Post this. Not everybody knew. Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in a working relationship and with many others with whom he worked professionally. Streep called the news disgraceful, inexcusable and an abuse of power.

SIEGEL: A number of men who worked with Weinstein shared their reactions. In an interview with The Daily Beast yesterday, George Clooney said this. There's nothing to say except that it's indefensible. He said he took rumors of Weinstein's casting couch with a grain of salt. Clooney said it seemed like a way to smear the actresses and demean them by saying that they didn't get the jobs based on their talent.

MCEVERS: Clooney continued, every time you see someone using their power and influence to take advantage of someone without power and influence and you don't speak up, you are complicit. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Related Stories