Harvey Weinstein is an American film producer and a former film studio executive from New York City. He and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded Miramax, which produced several popular independent films, including Pulp Fiction, Clerks, The Crying Game, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
Weinstein won an Academy Award for producing Shakespeare in Love, and garnered seven Tony Awards for producing a variety of plays and musicals, including The Producers, Billy Elliot the Musical, and August: Osage County. Weinstein has also won many awards over the years for his work on many hit films.
On Oct. 5, Weinstein’s actions came back to haunt him when The New York Times publishes a story detailing decades of allegations of sexual harassment against him. Actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd are among the women who come forward. Among the accusations, are claims that he forced women to massage him and watch him naked. He also promised to help advance their careers in return for sexual favours.
On Oct. 10, allegations from 13 more women were published in the New Yorker magazine, including three accusations of rape, which Weinstein strongly denies.
Weinstein was fired from his own company and his wife, Georgina Chapman, announced she is leaving him and that her priority was her young children.
Although the Weinstein controversy is a hot topic in the United States, local citizens in our community know way too much about sexual harassment and what goes on with the victims.
Sharan Gill is a therapist who works with many different people from variety of backgrounds in the Surrey.
“People really don’t get the point of view of these victims,” she said. “It’s really easy for people to say, Why didn’t he or she say ‘No,’ but just for a second try to put yourself in the same shoes as the victim. Think how many times he or she probably said ‘No’ and nothing changed.”
Gill doesn’t support what Weinstein did and she believes that he should get punished for this.
“I think all the victims that have been affected by Mr. Weinstein’s actions should file a lawsuit against him and should actually report a case of sexual assault against him to their local police, but I would also recommend that all these victims should go see a therapist, because this could help you deal with all this mentally and physically,” she said.
