Outside of director Roman Polanski, who was convicted and fled the United States for sexual assault against an underage woman in the 1970’s, super producer Harvey Weinstein is probably the most disgraced Hollywood power player in the history of the industry.
Weinstein is facing several rape charges in New York City right now and if convicted the 67-year-old would likely serve the rest of his life behind bars considering his age.
But Harvey Weinstein showed up at an event in NYC for young actors this week and you can probably imagine the controversy that ensued.
Some people really have no shame for their atrocious acts.
On March 11th 1977, Polanski was arrested in Beverly Hills for sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl that occurred at Jack Nicholson’s home while he was out of town. He was convicted and now he’s a fugitive from American justice.
But the revered Hollywood director – revered only amongst filmmakers throughout the world considering the heinous act he was convicted of – recently claimed he was a victim in this Me Too Movement era, which is exactly two years old.
In his new upcoming film, “An Officer and a Spy,” about the famed “Dreyfus Affair,” which embroiled the French government with charges of corruption and anti-Semitism in the late 1890s. The story is about Artillery Captain Alfred Dreyfus who was convicted of treason on false documents that reached all the way to the top of the French military.
And Polanski views himself as a victim just like Dreyfus, which is ludicrous. Promoting the film he said, “Working, making a film like this helps me a lot. In the story, I sometimes find moments I have experienced myself, and I can see the same determination to deny the facts and condemn me for things I have not done. Most of the people who harass me do not know me and know nothing about the case… I must admit that I am familiar with many of the workings of the apparatus of persecution shown in the film, and that has clearly inspired me.”
Let’s be clear: there is zero shame here. It’s jaw dropping.
Harvey Weinstein seems to be carrying on that torch too.
The disgraced Academy Award winner showed up Wednesday night at the Downtime Bar in Lower Manhattan to watch an event supporting young artists, which almost reads like an Onion headline.
His presence was obviously not welcome by actors there by most accounts but apparently others, including the owners, welcomed him.
One account described the situation, “Weinstein turned up with an entourage to watch Actor’s Hour, a monthly event ‘dedicated to artists’ at the Downtime bar in the Lower East Side.” His appearance resulted in an angry woman comedian getting booed and two attendees being thrown out of the bar after they protested his appearance. See video from the encounter below.”
One comedian, Kelly Bachman, called Weinstein out when she was onstage claiming he was “the elephant in the room” and “Freddie Krueger” during her set. “I didn’t know we had to bring our own Mace and rape whistles to Actor’s Hour.”
And while some supported, she was booed offstage: if you can imagine that.
On Twitter, she posted the video:
Kelly (@bellykachman) is my hero. Just a general fuck you to the Freddy Krueger in the room. pic.twitter.com/DZFm6fhxc1
— clever, but make it spooky (@ambercrollo) October 24, 2019
But the audacity of Harvey Weinstein thinking it would be perfectly acceptable to show up at an event like this, especially surrounded by young actors who are trying to get their careers off the ground, would be okay is asinine.
Like Roman Polanski, Harvey Weinstein has zero shame.
Who else would be that tone-deaf except self-righteous former Hollywood elitists?