The Harvey Weinstein sex scandal explained

It has been ten days since the New York Times published an extensive report on Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual advances and abuse toward women in Hollywood. Assistants and executives working for Miramax and The Weinstein Co. as well as famous actresses have all been victims to the prominent producer.

The New Yorker followed with a lengthy piece penned by Ronan Farrow in which 13 women retold their experiences at Weinstein’s hand. The film mogul often performed sexual advances that sometimes transcended to outright rape. The report even has a 2015 recording of the producer convincing an Italian model of joining him in his room.

Both readers and some of the victims question if Weinstein’s predatory behavior was one of Hollywood’s best-known secrets or if it truly was a tightly ran operation. The executive’s sins have finally caught up with him, and the allegations seem to go even further down than we thought.

Weinstein has a long history of sexual abuse

The reports by the two New York outlets focus on incidents that occurred between the 90s and today, but new allegations suggest that Harvey Weinstein could have been at it before that period.

Tens of assistants and actress prospects have been set to meet with Weinstein and other producers, only to find themselves alone with just the man in hotel rooms or personal venues.

According to accounts from victims speaking to the papers, Weinstein seems to have an established routine that involves either changing to a robe or receiving them with little to no clothes. From there, he asks for massages or outright gives them to women, but sometimes he spares no time in forcing himself to them.

In more than a handful of occasions, the famous producer forced victims to perform oral sex on him, spread their legs to force intercourse or perform oral sex on them. He is also notorious for touching, rubbing, groping and just “being used to” making inappropriate physical gestures.

Criminal consequences could come for Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein has suffered many consequences for his actions in these ten days since word got out of his rampant predator manners. His wife Georgina Chapman has left them and filed for divorce, the Weinstein Company board has kicked him out, and the Academy has expelled him.

Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will strip Weinstein of his Légion d’Honneur knighthood, and the U.K. might follow suit with his honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire title.

However, some of the most severe consequences in real life for the sex abuser might be still on their way. So far, three unidentified women in the U.K. have accused Weinstein of rape. Some of the accusations cite numerous times in which this happened.

British law establishes that a person found guilty of rape can be liable on conviction to imprisonment for life or any shorter sentence. As usual, multiple charges pile up on multiple sentences as well if the accused is found guilty.

Source: The New York Times