HOLLYWOOD, CA. (THECOUNT) — Actress and entrepreneur, Gwyneth Paltrow, has been named a key figure in the New York Times story that first catalogued a series of sexual harassment allegations against disgraced mega-producer, Harvey Weinstein. The admissions led to Weinstein’s dismissal from his own company and subsequent prosecution.
Paltrow, who had acted in a number of Weinstein-backed films including Shakespeare in Love, was later quoted by author, Jodi Kantor and Rachel Abrams, accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment.
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“I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified.” After Brad Pitt, her then boyfriend, confronted Weinstein, she said: “I thought he was going to fire me,” reports MSN.
In a new book titled She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey – the New York Times reporters whose story on 5 October 2017 triggered Weinstein’s downfall – Paltrow is said to have been “scared to go on the record but became an early, crucial source, sharing her account of sexual harassment and trying to recruit other actresses to speak.”
In an appearance on the Today Show, Kantor and Twohey said: “Gwyneth [Paltrow] was actually one of the first people to get on the phone, and she was determined to help this investigation even when Harvey Weinstein showed up to a party at her house early and she was sort of forced to hide in the bathroom [while speaking to reporters].”
In a statement to Deadline, a Weinstein representative questioned Paltrow’s claim of “her job being at stake”. “Gwyneth Paltrow comes from Hollywood royalty … Her father was a top producer, her mother a famous actor, her godfather is Steven Spielberg.
Weinstein, who is shortly to go on trial for rape and sexual abuse, denies all allegations of non-consensual sexual activity.
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Geo quick facts: A larger-than-life symbol of the entertainment business, Hollywood beckons tourists with landmarks like TCL Chinese Theatre and star-studded Walk of Fame. Highlights include Paramount Pictures, historic music venues like the Hollywood Bowl, and Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars. Scenesters can choose from improv comedy clubs, retro-cool bars and velvet-roped nightclubs. Locals frequent eateries in nearby Thai Town – wikipedia.