Meryl Streep Hits Harvey Weinstein With Scathing Words After He Uses Her Name In Lawsuit
"Pathetic and exploitive," this was how acclaimed actress Meryl Streep described Harvey Weinstein's lawyers' move of using her and her statement to defend their client.
This was stemming from a lawsuit filed against the Miramax founder by six women, namely Zoe Brock, Sarah Ann Masse, Melissa Sagemiller, Katherine Kendall, Louisette Geiss, and Nannette Klatt, alleging Weinstein of sexual misconduct. As a countermove, the film mogul's lawyers filed for a motion to dismiss citing that it was invalid partly because the plaintiffs were pertaining to every woman their client encountered, regardless of complaints.
Motion Details
The motion clearly stated Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Gwyneth Paltrow, who allegedly continued working with Weinstein despite the sexual complaints thrown at him. The Hunger Games star's name was dragged when it included her statement, revealing the powerful man "had only ever been nice to me."
Paltrow, on the other hand, was made to look like she did not mind what she had gone through the production for the 1994 film Emma. Weinstein's camp stressed that had she been so aggrieved by the magnate, she would have not done another film with the company, which was Shakespeare In Love.
But for Streep, she clearly was not having any of it. The lawyers used her statement which she had issued when the hordes of women were starting to speak up against Weinstein. The complete statement is:
"One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew. Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally."
However, the attorneys lifted the working relationship part and used it in the motion, much to the dismay of Streep.
"Harvey Weinstein's attorneys' use of my (true) statement - that he was not sexually transgressive or physically abusive in our business relationship - as evidence that he was not abusive with many OTHER women is pathetic and exploitive," Streep lamented.
The 68-year-old The Devil Wears Prada star also went on to say that Weinstein should pay for what he had done to his victims, despite good films financed by the tycoon. Streep and the accused had worked together in August: Osage County and The Iron Lady.
Meanwhile, the sexual misconduct accusations against Weinstein that started in October last year had ballooned, with Kate Beckinsale, Angelina Jolie, and Cara Delevingne in the roster of accusers. It had ignited the #MeToo movement as well. With this campaign, victims can attach the hashtag when they share their experience.
