Harvey Weinstein (file photo/VCG)

Harvey Weinstein and his wife (file photo/VCG)

The sexual harassment scandal of Hollywood golden producer Harvey Weinstein continues to ferment. An increasing number of actresses have come forward to accuse Weinstein. More and more Democrats condemn their longtime donor. In the meanwhile, the two major film societies of the US and Britain are also beginning to draw a line with the former movie mogul. 

It was first reported by The New York Times on Oct 5 which detailed allegations against Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact with women for nearly three decades. The New York Times also reported that there are at least eight separate settlements, including actress Rose McGowan. 

Following The New York Times, The New Yorker published its story on Oct. 10, with three women accusing Weinstein of raping them. Moreover, an audiotape was released in which Harvey Weinstein was recorded seemingly trying to force a model, Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, into his hotel room, even once threatening her, "Don't ruin your friendship with me for five minutes." The New Yorker also believed that many employees of Weinstein Company had known the misconduct. 

On the same day, The New York Times also published its report that two of the best-known actresses, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, said Weinstein harassed them in the 1990s.

Paltrow said when she was 22 years old, Weinstein summoned her to his hotel suite for a meeting about the movie "Emma." She said he put his hands on her and suggested they head to the bedroom for massages, The New York Times reported. "I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified," she said, telling the newspaper that she confided in her then-boyfriend, actor Brad Pitt. He confronted Weinstein, who then warned Paltrow to keep quiet about it. "I thought he was going to fire me," she said.

According to The New York Times, Jolie told that in the late 1990s, Weinstein made unwanted advances on her in a hotel room. "I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did." "This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable."

In fact, it’s not fresh news about Weinstein’s sexual harassment scandal because there were reports that Weinstein had hired a legal and publicity team to battle negative stories about him in the media. But the shocking reports still unleashed a whirlwind through Hollywood and the whole US. 

Weinstein responded via a spokeswoman that "any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied."

The 65-year-old high-profile producer and executive was born in a Jewish family in New York. He helps to reinvent independent films’ model and his movies have earned over 300 Oscar nominations and won 81, including Best Pictures such as “The English Patient,” “Shakespeare in Love,” and “The King’s Speech.” The New Yorker commented that “Since the establishment of the first studios, a century ago, there have been few movie executives as dominant, or as domineering, as Harvey Weinstein.” “Weinstein combined a keen eye for promising scripts, directors, and actors with a bullying, even threatening, style of doing business, inspiring both fear and gratitude. His movies have earned more than three hundred Oscar nominations, and, at the annual awards ceremonies, he has been thanked more than almost anyone else in movie history, ranking just after Steven Spielberg and right before God.”

Not only Hollywood but also the political circles are affected by the entertainment sexual harassment scandal. Democrats have been criticized for being recipients of Weinstein’s political contributions. 

The Washington Post reported that “Weinstein and his family have given more than $1.4 million in political contributions to the Democratic Party since 1992, including $10,000 to Barack Obama, and $46,350 to Clinton and HILLPAC, a political action committee that she used to support other Democrats while she was a senator.” 

Republicans immediately demanded that they return money from this longtime donor. Some Republicans criticized Clinton for her delay in condemning Weinstein, saying that Clinton’s “silence is deafening.” 

Clinton issued a statement on Tuesday, five days after the story first broke, saying that she was “shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein.” "The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior." 

Clinton said on Wednesday that she would give away Weinstein’s contributions.“I give 10 percent of my income to charity every year,” CNN reported. Clinton admitted that she would have considered Weinstein a friend, but she was entirely unaware of Weinstein’s alleged misconduct before. 

Clinton praised the bravery of women who have come forward to accuse Weinstein in her CNN interview. “The courage of these women coming forward now is really important because it can’t just end with one person’s disgraceful behavior and the consequences that he is now facing,” Clinton said. “This has to be a wake-up call and shine a bright spotlight on anything like this behavior anywhere, at any time.” 

On Tuesday evening, former US president Barack Obama issued a statement which similarly expressed disgust at Weinstein's behavior and praised those who came forward. “Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein. Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status,” the statement said. “We should celebrate the courage of women who have come forward to tell these painful stories. And we all need to build a culture—including by empowering our girls and teaching our boys decency and respect—so we can make such behavior less prevalent in the future.” 

Both New York and London Police are investigating allegations of sexual assault involving Harvey Weinstein. “Weinstein could be subject to arrest in connection with the 2004 incident if law enforcement has enough evidence to prosecute,” CNN reported. 

As a result by now, Harvey Weinstein is facing a lot of troubles. His wife, fashion desinger Georgina Chapman, who has married to him for ten years, announced earlier this week that she is leaving him. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, organization behind the Oscars, has voted to expel him on Oct 14. And the board of the Weinstein Company movie studio, which fired him previously after the scandal was exposed, is contemplating a name change. The company co-founded by Weintein himself is heading into an uncertain future.