Jessica Chastain, George Clooney and More Speak Out Against Harvey Weinstein

For more than twenty years, sexual harassment complaints have followed Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein. Now, the allegations are finally being addressed.

A long list of celebrities have spoken out against the film mogul after an October 5 New York Times exposé revealed years of sexual harassment accusations. Actress Ashley Judd was the first to speak out about her experience, which was followed by a wave of celebrities standing up for his victims.

The 65-year-old has admitted to abusing women, but credited his behaviour to having grown up during a time when, according to him, office practices were much different.

Following the exposé, Harvey was fired from The Weinstein Company after pleas to board members were denied.

Read on for statements from celebs on Harvey Weinstein, including Kate Winslet, George Clooney, Julianne Moore and a many more.

Kate Winslet

“The fact that these women are starting to speak out about the gross misconduct of one of our most important and well regarded film producers is incredibly brave and has been deeply shocking to hear. The way Harvey Weinstein has treated these vulnerable, talented young women is NOT the way women should ever EVER deem to be acceptable or commonplace in ANY workplace.

“I have no doubt that for these women this time has been, and continues to be extremely traumatic. I fully embrace and salute their profound courage, and I unequivocally support this level of very necessary exposure of someone who has behaved in reprehensible and disgusting ways. His behaviour is without question disgraceful and appalling and very, very wrong. I had hoped that these kind of stories were just made up rumours, maybe we have all been naïve. And it makes me so angry. There must be ‘no tolerance’ of this degrading, vile treatment of women in ANY workplace anywhere in the world.” (via Variety)

George Clooney

“It’s indefensible. That’s the only word you can start with. Harvey’s admitted to it, and it’s indefensible. I’ve known Harvey for 20 years. He gave me my first big break as an actor in films on From Dusk Till Dawn, he gave me my first big break as a director with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. We’ve had dinners, we’ve been on location together, we’ve had arguments. But I can tell you that I’ve never seen any of this behavior [sic]—ever.” (via The Daily Beast)

Julianne Moore

Meryl Streep

“The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported. The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes.” (via Huffington Post)

Judi Dench

“Whilst there is no doubt that Harvey Weinstein has helped and championed my career for the past 20 years, I was completely unaware of these offences which are, of course, horrifying, and I offer my sympathy to those who have suffered, and wholehearted support to those who have spoken out.” (via a statement)

Jennifer Lawrence

“I was deeply disturbed to hear the news about Harvey Weinstein’s behavior. I worked with Harvey five years ago and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting. My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward.” (via Variety)

Olivia Wilde

Jessica Chastain

Mark Ruffalo

Kevin Smith

Lena Dunham

“The reason I am zeroing in on the men is that they have the least to lose and the most power to shift the narrative, and are probably not dealing with the same level of collective and personal trauma around these allegations. But here we are, days later, waiting for Mr. Weinstein’s most powerful collaborators to say something. Anything. It wouldn’t be just a gift to the women he has victimized, but a message to the women who are watching our industry closely. They need a signal that we do not approve of the abuse of power and hatred of women that is the driving force behind this kind of behaviour.” (via The New York Times)

Amber Tamblyn

America Ferrera

Glenn Close

“I’m sitting here, deeply upset, acknowledging to myself that, yes, for many years, I have been aware of the vague rumors that Harvey Weinstein had a pattern of behaving inappropriately around women. Harvey has always been decent to me, but now that the rumors are being substantiated, I feel angry and darkly sad.

“I’m angry, not just at him and the conspiracy of silence around his actions, but also that the ‘casting couch’ phenomenon, so to speak, is still a reality in our business and in the world: the horrible pressure, the awful expectation put on a woman when a powerful, egotistical, entitled bully expects sexual favors in exchange for a job. Ours is an industry in which very few actors are indispensable and women are cast in far fewer roles than men, so the stakes are higher for women and make them more vulnerable to the manipulations of a predator. I applaud the monumental courage of the women who have spoken up. I hope that their stories and the reportage that gave them their voices represents a tipping point, that more stories will be told and that change will follow.

“The changes must be both institutional and personal. Men and women, in positions of power, must create a work environment in which people, whose jobs depend on them, feel safe to report threatening and inappropriate behavior, like that reported in the Times. No one should be coerced into trading personal dignity for professional success. I feel the time is long and tragically overdue for all of us in the industry, women and men, to unite — calmly and dispassionately — and create a new culture of respect, equality and empowerment, where bullies and their enablers are no longer allowed to prosper.” (via The New York Times)

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth disclosed to The New York Times that, after being hired for a role in Emma at 22-years-old, Harvey suggested they go to a bedroom for massages, “I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified.” She then confided in her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt, who confronted Harvey. His producer warned Gwyneth not to tell anyone else, “I thought he was going to fire me,” she said to the publication.

Angelina Jolie

“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 [sic] towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.” (via The New York Times)

Charlize Theron

Benedict Cumberbatch

In a statement made by his representatives, Benedict said, “I am utterly disgusted by the continuing revelations of Harvey Weinstein’s horrifying and unforgivable actions. We need to collectively stand up and support victims of abuse such as the brave and inspiring women who have spoken out against him and say we hear you and believe you. That way others may be emboldened by our support to come forward and speak. But we shouldn’t wait until there are any more stories like this. We, as an industry and as a society at large need to play our part. There has to be zero tolerance of any such behaviour in any walk of life. We owe that to these woman’s bravery in coming forward.”

Cate Blanchett

“Any man in a position of power or authority who thinks it’s his prerogative to threaten, intimidate or sexually assault any woman he encounters or works alongside needs to be called to account. It is never easy for a woman to come forward in such situations and I wholeheartedly support those who have,” Blanchett told Variety.

Colin Firth

“It’s with a feeling of nausea that I read what was going on while I was benefiting from Harvey Weinstein’s support. He was a powerful and frightening man to stand up to. It must have been terrifying for these women to step up and call him out,” Firth told The Guardian. “And horrifying to be subjected to that kind of harassment. I applaud their courage. By coming forward they’ve provided a jolting wake up throughout our industry. I hope it’s going to be a help to others, both in our own industry and elsewhere.”

Related:
Harvey Weinstein’s Name Will Be Removed from All Weinstein Company Shows & Movies
The Harvey Weinstein Scandal: Everything You Need To Know About The Story Shaking Hollywood (via Chatelaine)
Hurricane Harvey Weinstein Rips Through His Support System (via Maclean’s)

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