Ronan Farrow had to move out of his home because Weinstein’s goons were tailing him

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Ronan Farrow has – rightly – gotten a lot of attention in the past six months. He was the one we heard about in the beginning – word came out that Farrow has spent the better part of year working on an exposé of Harvey Weinstein, and Weinstein was quaking in his boots. The New York Times actually broke the first of the Weinstein exposés, but when Farrow’s piece was published, it was the hammer dropping down on Weinstein for good. Farrow continued reporting on Weinstein after his initial New Yorker piece was published, as other victims wanted to speak to him and tell him their stories. Now Farrow covers The Hollywood Reporter and talks about the part he played in this larger movement. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

On how his upbringing affected his passion for covering abuse of power: “You see early in life with that kind of a family background the way in which the most powerful men in America wield power for good and for ill. And probably, yes, the family background made me someone who understood the abuse of power from an early age.”

On whether Hollywood finally will turn its back on Woody Allen: “It’s not for me to say what Hollywood will or won’t do. I will say that in every industry there are still powerful men facing credible allegations of wrongdoing who continue to evade accountability. As empowering a moment as this moment is, there’s still a long way to go.”

On his rumored romantic relationship with former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett: (He’s traveling with Lovett, to whom he’s been linked romantically, though he won’t comment except to say they have “been close in recent years.”)

On when he last spoke with Allen: “I don’t actually know the answer to that. We have had contact over the years, but he is not someone that I keep up with regularly.”

On his childhood relationship with Allen: “Woody Allen, legally, ethically, personally was absolutely a father in our family. And of course any family affected by sexual abuse will tell you that’s a part of what makes the issue so devastating.”

On reporting on Weinstein: As the reporting intensified, Farrow received threatening phone calls and noticed mysterious men stalking him. He was approached by an undercover agent for the corporate intelligence firm Black Cube (the same woman, posing as a women’s rights advocate, ingratiated herself to McGowan). It got to the point where he had to move out of his apartment near Columbus Circle. “He shared enough of what he was uncovering for me to be increasingly concerned for his safety,” says his mother. “But he knew and I knew that it was a moral issue. He had to continue, even when that meant putting a lot on the line.”

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

A young gay man, a white man, from a famous family, with all of the education and privilege in the world… and he chooses to advocate for women, for victims of sexual abuse and assault, to use his privilege to tell their stories and put the focus on them. He uses his privilege to expose what other men have done with their privilege. He is admirable, and he is an ally. I hope he continues to use his position in this way.

Photographed by Miller Mobley_170812_THR_RonanFarrow_0337

Photos courtesy of Miller Mobley for The Hollywood Reporter.

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54 Responses to “Ronan Farrow had to move out of his home because Weinstein’s goons were tailing him”

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  1. PPP says:

    “Ronan Farrow has – rightly – gotten a lot of attention in the past six months.”

    Sure, but he didn’t break this. That was Jodie Kantor and Megan Twohey. It is not Farrow’s fault at all, but I am pretty resentful that his is the biggest journalist name to emerge from this, because it’s becoming this narrative of the handsome white guy coming in to save all the women. His work has been great, of course, but I wish that Kantor and Twohey weren’t so in the shadows of this. I want to see them on Colbert, ya know?

    • MissMarierose says:

      Amen.

    • Des says:

      He’s always going to have the advantage of being the handsome, television anchor son of famous (scandalous) Hollywood parents, so he’s always going to be the one who gets an automatic invite to Colbert etc.

      That said, I need to know the timeline of when Kantor and Twohey were working on their piece before I get mad on their behalf because he was working on his for a solid year or more before the New Yorker would publish it and he definitely drew the heat for it. As I understand it right now, everybody acknowledges that they were the first to publish it, but it was Ronan’s reporting that got Weinstein & Co. circling their wagons. He’s been super respectful of the women he’s represented and hasn’t said or done anything to present himself as their savior. If the pieces about him are written that way, then that’s on the authors of those pieces.

      • PPP says:

        I agree he’s got a lot going to make him stand out like this. However, there is a problem that the only journalist to talk about this on Colbert is a guy, and that the opportunity wasn’t extended to women who played at least as big a role in this reckoning, if not more. As far as I understand it, there were feedback loop elements with respect to both pieces. The fact that Kantor and Twohey were women did a lot to convince who they managed to convince. That there was another piece out helped Farrow convince some of the women to talk to him. He got the bigger names, and I think the big names helped some of the smaller names speak out.

    • Mia4s says:

      Yeah I was iffy on this cover because of that (even though his work deserves huge respect). The Hollywood Reporter would want the Hollywood connection though so it’s not that surprising.

      Talk about a tangled web though. It’s mentioned he lived for a time with Mike Nichols and Diane Sawyer? His mother is a big Polanski supporter and Mike Nichols was a huge supporter of the Polanski petition (Emma Thompson mentioned signing it at his request). This is another example of how other than the abusers themselves there are few absolutes. Who knew what, who supported whom, who believes what and why, is all very complicated.

      • Mina says:

        I think the main reason why he’s on the cover of THR is because Kantor and Twohey were on the cover of Variety last month. So it’s not like they haven’t got attention, it’s just that Ronan Farrow was already a TV face before this happened and he has more going on in terms of fame than his work as a journalist.

    • Frosty says:

      I don’t watch tv really, so who gets feted on Colbert first just seems petty to me. The articles appeared virtually simultaneously, and both involved intensive investigation. Actual investigative journalism, for a change. All three journalists are equally worthy, IMNSHO.

    • msd says:

      Farrow, to his credit, cites Kantor and Twohey all the time. And they cite him back. I’m comfortable with applauding all three reporters because the first story didn’t trigger the second (or vice versa). Plus Farrow had to shop around to get The New Yorker when CBS refused to back him after all his hard work. If he’d had support I think we’d have heard earlier. We’re just fortunate they were all investigating Weinstein independently, at the same time because hit-after-hit is what made it snowball. Multiple stories had huge impact.

      On a personal level … Farrow’s writing is the one that first made me cry. He set a kind of template that other journalists have followed when writing about victims/survivors.

  2. Nicole says:

    I can’t imagine that he wasn’t affected by his work. But to hear he was being followed because of the investigation is awful. I also hope he continues his work because he’s a very important ally

    • INeedANap says:

      I still don’t understand how businesses like Black Cube remain under the legal radar. Researching publically available information is creepy but it’s out there; stalking is quite another.

      • magnoliarose says:

        They are international and therefore not based in the US. It is how cruise ships evade blame and responsibility for whatever goes wrong on the ships. They purposely set it up, so there is no liability.

  3. lisa says:

    love him

    but can i admit that all this time i thought his boyfriend was jon lovitz? so sorry

    • Amy Tennant says:

      I snickered, but I empathize. It’s like me thinking that Khloe Kardashian was dating French Stewart instead of French Montana (I didn’t know who that was– still kind of don’t). I also didn’t know Ronan was gay. I admit I still stare at him thinking he kind of looks like Sinatra… not that it matters…

    • denisemich says:

      I believe Ronan is bisexual and Jon is one of the people he is involved.
      Not that it should matter either way.

      His statement about safety and the cost of fighting Weinstein relates to McGowan’s struggle of having to sell her house

  4. Jussie says:

    Just a note – Ronan’s never actually come out as gay.

    • FLORC says:

      Didn’t someone out him as bisexual? Same guy that said his eyes weren’t thst blue, but he wore white tinted contacts to enhance. Or he made a statement akin to fluid sexuality?
      I think so.

      • Amy Tennant says:

        Gay, bi, pan, fluid… I don’t care, as long as he’s happy. Someone would be lucky to have him. 🙂

      • Missy says:

        Does that mean I can still dream about him being my boyfriend someday??

      • FLORC says:

        It doesn’t matter. It was a comment made to specific statements.
        And when it came out… here I think… The ladies rejoiced with the classic… so you’re telling me there’s a chance…😆
        He’s gorgeous, intelligent, kind… some people are ugly inside. And some are just stunning.

  5. monette says:

    He is sooo beautiful!
    I know, I’m shallow, but I’m exhausted. Don’t want to be angry anymore. I don’t have the energy.

    • kNY says:

      I’ll jump on the shallow train with you: he got all the good genes! It could’ve gone wrong.
      Lucky boy!

    • Kelly C says:

      I was thinking the exact same thing. Nice to be superficial every now and then.

      His face is almost ethereal. Takes after his mother physically which I am sure he thanks for every morning when he looks in the mirror.

    • Hella says:

      He’s beautiful and he’s an amazing person. Sigh. Honk. Mmmmm.

  6. Shambles says:

    I love Ronan. I think he’s gorgeous and impactful and great. Jon Lovett, whom I also love with all my heart, talks about him often in the PSA outros, and it gives me so much life that they’re together. I also think Ronan is Sinatra’s son, which is OT as hell but I was thinking about it a lot over Christmas and I’m glad I could say it. Lol

    • Nancy says:

      There has been much denial about Sinatra being his biological father, though the thought was appealing simply so Allen wouldn’t be. I think he looks exactly like his mother, the cheekbones, coloring and eyes. Mia was only 21 when 50 year old Sinatra married her. Mama Mia, like predicted, the marriage was short lived.

      • Shambles says:

        He does look so like Mia. There are certain photos of him, though, where I feel like you’d have to be insane not to see that he’s Sinatra’s kid. To my eye, his cheekbones look like Sinatra’s, they have the same mouth shape (Ronan just has his Mom’s lips), and their jawline is almost identical.

      • Amy Tennant says:

        Ha, I mentioned the Sinatra thing too. I think the resemblance might be coincidental too– like people thinking Prince Harry was Hewett’s son because of the red hair despite the fact that literally all of Diana’s sisters were redheads. But he does look like Sinatra to me even so. I’m glad he doesn’t look like Woody, although that’s shallow too.

      • Carrie1 says:

        @Kit – aha! That’s it! Thank you. This makes sense. Many women, and men, end up attracted to people who resemble their parents. It’s not always obvious but seeing that photo it’s remarkable how Mia’s dad looked like Sinatra and vice versa. This is such a relief. Every time someone says Ronan looks like Frank, I feel terrible for him because he has said, as Mia has, that Sinatra is not his dad. Whew!

    • Down and Out says:

      Lovett referred to him as his “longtime golf buddy” when introducing him on one of the pods (can’t remember if it was PSA or Lovett It or Leave It). Yeah… pretty sure they’re together.

      • Shambles says:

        He spoke about what they got each other for Christmas on their end of the year episode, too. They’re definitely together, but kudos to them for keeping it low-key.

      • Down and Out says:

        @Shambles kudos to them for sure, but this article kind of puts that in perspective, no? Maybe some of Ronan’s coyness is protectiveness since he obviously had a target on his back with the work he was doing.

      • Esmom says:

        The Lovett or Leave It with Farrow was one of my favorites. He’s so intelligent and well spoken and funny. I could see why they’d be attracted to each other.

    • Ceire says:

      I’m also on the Ronan Farrow and Lovett train! Pod Save America and loads of Creoles Podcasts have been keeping me sane this year. And Ronan’s coverage of Weinstein was fantastic.

  7. Lilith says:

  8. Nancy says:

    Just like Chandler Bing told Jill Goodacre in the vestibule of the bank during a blackout when she gave him a piece of gum, he replied “perfection.” A word which could also be used to describe Ronan Farrow’s face and limitless love and respect for his mother.

  9. QueenB says:

    “and he chooses to advocate for women, for victims of sexual abuse and assault, to use his privilege to tell their stories and put the focus on them.”

    He also uses that privilege to steal the cover away from the two women, Jodie Kantor and Megan Twohey, who brought down Weinstein.

    • MousyB says:

      How is he “stealing” anything? He wrote a separate series of articles and was already a public figure in his own right and through his family.

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      What? The pieces were published almost simultaneously.

      • Jussie says:

        Farrow’s piece dug a LOT deeper too. The other piece just scraped the surface.

      • PPP says:

        @ Jussie. Farrow’s piece had bigger names. His family connections probably helped there. If their piece can at all be characterized as “scraped the surface” it’s because they were fighting a manipulative monster with incredible resources while being beholden to journalistic issues. Your comment is needlessly critical to women in service of propping up a man (who has done great work and deserves kudos, but not at the expense of Kantor and Twohey), and frankly this tendency to minimize female accomplishments for no particular reason is part of what drives all this bullshit. Be better.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        And he would have published months earlier if NBC News hadn’t shut him down, leading to him going to The New Yorker instead.

        I think there were two sets of journalists doing around a year’s worth of work on this story. They don’t have to be in competition from an information stand point. They actually support each other. The can both be celebrated.

    • pf says:

      He has acknowledged those women time and time again on his Twitter and other media outlets. He has said they deserve more credit than he does so he’s not stealing anything. He doesn’t have to mention them, but he does.

    • Hella says:

      Nonsense, Queen B. He’s wonderful, intelligent, and an important voice. He “stole” nothing.

  10. Lucy says:

    Fantastic interview about all the great work he’s done. Love the photoshoot, he’s super attractive and striking. I don’t think he’s ever come out as gay/bi, though?

    • SM says:

      This cover and interview is very much deserved. He is a wonderful journalist sticking to the principle of reporting no matter what. He nourished his relationships with victims, he worked on the piece for 10 months and when was refused to be published, did not give up and ended up at New Yorker. I love him and wish him all the best. He is also so gorgeous and well articulated it’s just beautiful to watch.

  11. Ruyana says:

    Weinstein *really* should be on trial, convicted and in prison. For the great number of his victims, the many years in which he hunted and the fact that people like him *never stop* he needs to be removed from society for the good of society.

  12. Heather H says:

    I thought the black and white strangely lit photo was of his mother when I first saw it. So now I 100% ship that he takes after Mia and not whomever his father is. I really liked his responses in this interview, he comes across as very thoughtful and mindful of how complicated this all is and how important.

  13. Skippy says:

    I saw the clip yesterday on TMZ where some guy in a restaurant slapped Weinstein twice in the face for assaulting women while it was being filmed and then ordered W out of the restaurant. Too cool 😎.

    • Jaded says:

      Me too – I wish it had been me that slapped his ugly face but that guy was great, he deserves an award, or at the very least a free dinner!

    • Viscuit says:

      Visualise it and enjoy the satisfaction, but don’t encourage physical violence or “citizens’ justice” as a way of life.

  14. Viscuit says:

    Been a fan of his quirky humour and smart insights since way back. Keep at it, Ronan.

  15. Tallia says:

    On his childhood relationship with Allen: “Woody Allen, legally, ethically, personally was absolutely a father in our family. And of course any family affected by sexual abuse will tell you that’s a part of what makes the issue so devastating.”

    This ^^