This journalist tried to expose the crimes of Harvey Weinstein 20 years ago. His account is finally out
Now Auletta has finally written the definitive account of Weinstein’s crimes in his new book, “Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence.”
This culture of silence has permeated the entire industry for decades, Auletta told “Reliable Sources” on Sunday, from people in Weisntein’s office to suspicious reporters.
Auletta said it resembles what is happening in Washington, DC today.
“Republicans know that Trump didn’t win this election,” Auletta said. “Yet the vast majority of Republicans out of fear — the same fear the Harvey folks had — are shutting up.”
Weinstein’s crimes were eventually exposed by reporters from The New Yorker and The New York Times.
Auletta spoke to Weinstein’s estranged brother, Bob Weinstein, for the book.
“I think a lot of people denied that they should have known, but they claim they didn’t,” Auletta said.
And the acquaintances ran deep in Weinstein’a business. Auletta told a story when a young woman accepted a job at Miramax and was asked out for drinks by some team members before her first day on the job. Weinstein had seen her in an elevator after her job interview in the late 90s and hired her without even checking with her executives.
“They said, ‘Hillary, you don’t want to come and work here,'” Auletta said. “‘He’s going to rape you. He’s going to assault you.’ So if that many people in the office knew, clearly a lot of people knew.”
CNN Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter asked if the industry has really changed.
“You can’t think of many industries where beautiful young women, ambitious to be … in the film industry, are sitting side by side with CEOs and studio heads,” Auletta said. And yes, there are people taking advantage of it, he added, but “what Harvey did was different. What he did was criminal.”
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