Bob Weinstein has been trying to salvage his business for two weeks. He forced out his sexual predator brother, he got new financial backers, and he even gave an in-depth interview to The Hollywood Reporter over the weekend. The problem is that Bob Weinstein didn’t come across very well in that interview. He tried various tacks: he claimed he was also a victim of Harvey’s violence (it was probably how he was dressed); he refused to talk specifics about the settled lawsuits against Harvey; and significantly, he even admitted to telling employees that they should just quit if and when Harvey’s criminal actions were making them uncomfortable. Well, long story short: a woman has now come forward to say that Bob Weinstein sexually harassed her.
A female showrunner who worked on the Weinstein Co. drama “The Mist” has accused Bob Weinstein of sexual harassment during the production of the Spike TV series. Amanda Segel, an executive producer of “Mist,” said Weinstein repeatedly made romantic overtures to her and asked her to join him for private dinners. The harassment began in the summer of 2016 and continued on and off for about three months until Segel’s lawyer, David Fox of Myman Greenspan, informed TWC executives — including COO David Glasser — that she would leave the show if Bob Weinstein did not stop contacting her on personal matters.
“‘No’ should be enough,” Segel told Variety. “After ‘no,’ anybody who has asked you out should just move on. Bob kept referring to me that he wanted to have a friendship. He didn’t want a friendship. He wanted more than that. My hope is that ‘no’ is enough from now on.”
A representative for Bob Weinstein denied that he engaged in any inappropriate behavior in a statement to Variety.
“Bob Weinstein had dinner with Ms. Segel in LA in June 2016. He denies any claims that he behaved inappropriately at or after the dinner. It is most unfortunate that any such claim has been made,” the statement said.
Bert Fields, a lawyer for Bob Weinstein, also issued a strong denial on Weinstein’s behalf.
“Variety’s story about Bob Weinstein is riddled with false and misleading assertions by Ms. Segel and we have the emails to prove it, but even if you believe what she says it contains not a hint of any inappropriate touching or even any request for such touching,” Fields said. “There is no way in the world that Bob Weinstein is guilty of sexual harassment, and even if you believed what this person asserts there is no way it would amount to that.”
I had to read over Bert Fields’ statement a few times to figure out the strained logic. Like, Bob Weinstein’s lawyer thinks it doesn’t “count” as sexual harassment if he didn’t touch her? Does Bert Fields realize that sexual harassment can be verbal, it can be creepy requests, it can be man in a position in authority trying to “romance” a coworker who has made it clear that she’s not interested? This bodes well for the future of The Weinstein Company. Maybe the brothers will get adjacent jail cells!
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Called it.
Same, knew this would come. I didn’t buy his carefully arranged statements at all.
This whole story of sexual abuse in Hollywood is getting more icky by the hour. Well, if scum Harvey is to be believed this is how they were brought up in the 60 and 70 when men apparently had no concept of boundaries with women. Anyhow, not surprising at all, someone who was complicit with Harvey for so many years probably has a very twisted idea of what is appropreate and what is inappropreate
I’d eye roll in response if I wasn’t busy barfing. No wonder predators are emboldened to do what they do–if it “doesn’t count” until there’s physical contact. It’s horrifying how this mirrors some of the comments (and needed explanations) about the #metoo posts.
They don’t understand what sexual assault is. Literally, do not get it.
He thinks that just words, those can’t be sexual assault! I didn’t grope her, I didn’t push her down, says he. Except you used implied punishment for coercive purposes, that’s assault, Dog the lesser.
This seems to be a major issue, where men either do not understand , or pretend to not understand, what assault is. I can’t get over that 30% of men admit to rape when it isnt called that, and is just described.
I just Googled the difference between sexual assault and harassment, and I’m confused about why you think this is assault and not harassment. He didn’t touch her, and unless I misread, he didn’t threaten her, he harassed her with unwelcome advances repeatedly.
Just to be completely clear, what he did was completely unacceptable, but I’m curious to know how it could be sexual assault.
Because the laws are so outdated, they don’t take into account the emotional assault. The mental assault.
It’s not “harassment” when women deal with it for decades. It’s an assault.
I’m not being the most clear with my language, thats a major issue of mine. A legal person would be the best to argue the semantics, as Canada is different from the States is different from Sweden in their definitions. That said, looking at it again, harrassment may be the right one to use.
Archie’s point about the laws governing sexual assault and emotional abuse and coersion are all bang on, though. And he did threaten her, those jokes were veiled threats. The coercion part is what made me immediately jump to assault, but i’m not confident enough in that to argue it either way.
My poorly made point is more that these people do not seem to understand what constitutes an assault or bullying of others, and area that is in dire need of addressing.
Thanks for the clarification, and yes, I think the definitions can be different in different countries, and there is a lot of grey area around the edges. I just read the other day that the law in the UK has changed to include ‘coercive control’ as a crime, which is really interesting and I hope that others countries follow too.
(Coercive control is where someone, usually in a relationship and over a period of time, ends up with control of the other person financially, psychologically etc, and where the person is afraid to leave or feels like they can’t leave). I would say that some of what Harvey Weinstein did falls into this category as well, because he controlled through threats.
This is also not sexual. Just harassment. Not cool, but to even put it vaguely in the same category as harvey is ludicrous.
he said she’d lose her job if she didn’t ‘date’ him.
That’s sexual.
It’s sexual harassment, not sexual assault. Bob’s trying to argue he’s not as bad as Harvey through his lawyer because there was no touching. Harassment is traumatizing too but it doesn’t rise to the level of assault. I think Bob is an arrogant bully & he’s probably harassed a few women but I’m not sure he’s physically assaulted anyone. We will know within the next 24 to 72 hours because the floodgates are opening. I also imagine Harvey a has few people on speed dial right now & he’s spilling some tea. Clooney, Damon, Affleck…all better check their bank accounts, publicists and such..one is already on damage control. Harvey’s coming lol.
The Brothers Grimm indeed.
Truly!!! TWC needs to go under …
Its all coming out in the wash. Both brothers were just awful people – karma is a complete b!tch and i love her.
Yes- and Karma is patient too.
Looks like that bus he threw his brother under is making a u-turn in his direction. Did he really think he was going to come out of this unscathed? He may not be the monster his brother is but I sincerely doubt his hands are clean of any kind of wrong doing. The Weinstein Company needs to be dismantled and done away with. There’s no saving it.
When I saw this story break my first thought was “hmmmm…he waited awhile before he spoke out against Harvey publicly. Perhaps he was waiting as long as he could in order to see if any of HIS dirt would surface.” I mean, either way he comes out looking like a pig. But now that he took his brother to task publicly, he is not just a disgusting pig, but also a hypocrite.
“He’s not as bad as Harvey” is not much of a defense.
The company needs to release all records of settlements and inappropriate conduct that were hushed up and allow the judicial authority to weight all evidence, or the company must accept being labeled as complicit.
I am shocked SHOCKED I tell you, to the very core of my being.
Ol Bob didn’t think he’d be a casualty of this scandal, did he? I envision him believing he’d be embraced by everyone for doing the absolute least, that he’d be viewed as this great ally, that he’d fund a few projects by female directors and be heralded as the hero of a reformed Hollywood.
He saw his brother getting away with it (cue the NDA that says should Harvey being sued for sexual harassment Harvey will shell the dough)..Why would his brother enjoy himself and not him? You think Harvey didn’t boast of his exploits to his brother and his brother not sensing a iota of jealousy??
Because of course he did.
*”Primal scream into the void*
Really I have nothing else to add.
I don’t either. I’m not surprised, at all.
On a completely superficial note, the Mist is a terrible show. Not that the movie was great, it wasn’t, because King’s writing does not often translate well into visual. But I stopped watching it after (spoliers)… the daughter is raped and the mom slaps her in the face, for being mouthy. and yes, the mom knew her daughter had just been raped the night before. Whoever wrote that should be fired.
He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.
His handwringing response to brother Harvey sounded so saintly and false. Of course Bob’s also a sexual predator.
Can we please just cancel powerful men, please?
This is satisfying. I didn’t want Harvey’s fugly, lying bro to continue making money with their business. Enough already!
They should now serve time and experience life as biitches in the slammer.
I really want to know what the f happened in this family that these boys turned out this way. Regardless of this woman’s claim about Bob, these brothers all all f’ed up and bob admitted to dealing with his demons or anger issues or whatever he was alluding to in his interview. Id like to know about their mom and dad and what the hell was going on in that family. This didnt happen out of nowhere.
He hired Bert Fields as his lawyer. Bert Fields! The guy’s entire MO is to spin and bully and pound the table in (fake) righteous outrage and give good quotes to anyone who asks.
Anyone surprised? Didn’t think so. And now that one has been brave enough to speak up, I bet more victims of his harassment will follow.
“No” should always be enough. But you know what’s also good? An employer not using his position of authority to ask out his employees AT ALL.
Also, Jaime King says on Twitter that Bob called her up & called her a loser & berated her for not doing a cover of Maxim for him. I feel like Bob’s colors will be coming to light soon.
More denials. Isn’t that how this all starts? #IbelieveHER
Color me not SHOCKED. I am willing to bet most of the members of the board and the top brass have questionable unsavory behavior. For them to allow a contract to be writtin for Harvey allowing sexual abuse to continue and them benefitting off of it tells me all I need to know. Perhaps they are low grade predators. Regardless, im sure there is dirt on them all.
Recommend they cut their losses, pay money to the victims and go away quietly.
They all knew and didnt care.
Assault is putting someone in fear of imminent harm, in legal terms. It’s the apprehension of battery; assault requires no touching. In some jurisdictions the definition is literally “attempted battery” (battery is touching). .
What a surprise. First of all, I think that he was already suspicious as he enabled his brother’s actions and hid them. So I have zero problems believing this. I hope more women will come forward as I fear this is not the only case Bob W. has been a creep.
“There is no way in the world that Bob Weinstein is guilty of sexual harassment” SURE, LOL.
Jaime King also went on Twitter to say Bob threatened her if she didn’t pose for Maxim. They might as well close this company down at this point. It’s beyond cooked!
Ok, you guys were right. The brother is just as bad