According to a new report, Harvey Weinstein used ex-Israeli agents to spy on his accusers.
Italian actress and director Asia Argento has described the New Yorker report as “terrifying”.
Reporter Ronan Farrow has published a story claiming Harvey Weinstein used private investigators to try to cover up abuse claims.
Asia Argento has accused Harvey Weinstein of rape.
Harvey Weinstein’s spokesperson denied that “any individuals were targeted or suppressed at any time”.
In his New Yorker story, Ronan Farrow alleged that Harvey Weinstein employed two intelligence companies, Kroll and Black Cube, to try to collect information on several women and on journalists trying to expose the allegations.
Black Cube advertises itself as “a select group of veterans from the Israeli elite intelligence units”. The New Yorker said they included former members of Israeli spy agency Mossad.
After the story was published, Asia Argento tweeted: “Why didn’t I, @rosemcgowan, @RoArquette @AnnabellSciorra speak up earlier? We were followed by ex-Mossad agents. Isn’t that terrifying? Very.”
The Sopranos star Annabella Sciorra and Rose McGowan have also accused Harvey Weinstein of rape. He has denied all allegations of non-consensual contacts.
Ronan Farrow’s report alleges that two private investigators from Black Cube, using false identities, met Rose McGowan to “extract information” from her in an effort to stop the publication of abuse allegations. One of the investigators is reported to have posed as a women’s rights advocate.
Rose McGowan praised Ronan Farrow for his investigation, writing on Twitter that “your words will line the halls of justice”.
Annabella Sciorra told the New Yorker that the alleged use of private investigators by Harvey Weinstein had scared her “because I knew what it meant to be threatened by Harvey”, adding: “I was in fear of him finding me.”
The New Yorker also reported that one intelligence company held a profile of Rosanna Arquette, who has also accused Harvey Weinstein of harassment.
Harvey Weinstein’s spokeswoman Sallie Hofmeister dismissed the report, saying: “It is a fiction to suggest that any individuals were targeted or suppressed at any time.”
Rose McGowan has publicly accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of raping her.
In a series of tweets, the actress also accused Amazon Studio chief Roy Price of having ignored her when she made the allegation earlier.
Amazon has put Roy Price – himself accused on October 12 of harassing a female producer – on leave of absence.
Harvey Weinstein, 65, denies any assaults. There was no comment from Roy Price.
Meanwhile, the NYPD and UK police have launched investigations into assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The NYPD is looking into an allegation dating from 2004 and reviewing whether there are any additional complaints. London’s Met Police has received an allegation of assault in the London area in the 1980s.
Addressing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Twitter, Rose McGowan – who has appeared in Scream, The Black Dahlia and TV series Charmed – criticized the company for doing business with Harvey Weinstein.
“I told the head of your studio that HW raped me,” the actress tweeted.
“Over & over I said it. He said it hadn’t been proven. I said I was the proof.”
Twitter briefly suspended McGowan for violating its terms and policies after she included a personal phone number in tweets about abuse allegations.
Some prominent figures, notably from the entertainment world, said they would boycott the platform on October 13 in protest, using the hashtag #WomenBoycottTwitter.
Roy Price was separately accused by Isa Hackett, a producer of one of Amazon’s shows, of inappropriate behavior in a taxi and at a corporate dinner in 2015, the Hollywood Reporter writes.
Isa Hackett reported the incident to Amazon executives immediately, she was quoted as saying, and an outside investigator was brought in.
She was not told the outcome of the investigation but did not see Roy Price again at any events involving her shows, she added.
In a statement, Amazon said: “Roy Price is on leave of absence effective immediately. We are reviewing our options for the projects we have with The Weinstein Co.”
Three women earlier accused Harvey Weinstein of rape in an investigative article in The New Yorker magazine.
They are Italian actress and director Asia Argento, former aspiring actress Lucia Evans and a third woman who was anonymous.
The same article says 10 other women told the author that Harvey Weinstein had either harassed or assaulted them between the 1990s and 2015.
The New York Times broke the story on October 5, when it detailed decades of allegations of l harassment against Harvey Weinstein.
The producer has insisted through a spokeswoman that any contacts he had were consensual.
Director Oliver Stone has said he believes that Harvey Weinstein should not be judged prematurely.
“If he broke the law it will come out,” he told reporters on a visit to South Korea for a film festival.
“I believe that a man shouldn’t be condemned by a vigilante system.”
In a subsequent social media post, however, Oliver Stone expressed a wish to “recuse” himself from a TV series about Guantanamo Bay “as long as The Weinstein Company is involved”.
Oliver Stone wrote on Facebook that he was “appalled” by the allegations made against Harvey Weinstein and “commend[ed] the courage of the women who’ve stepped forward”.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
