Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company, appears during an interview in New York. Weinstein faces multiple allegations of sexual abuse and harassment from some of the biggest names in Hollywood. (AP FILE PHOTO)
NEW YORK – The Producers Guild of America announced on Monday that it has banned for life Harvey Weinstein from the club after the beleaguered 65-year-old movie mogul had resigned his membership.
“This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr. Weinstein’s decades of reprehensible conduct,” the guild said in a statement. “Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of producers guild membership.”
The guild’s board of directors had previously voted unanimously earlier this month to initiate termination proceedings against Weinstein.
Dozens of women, including actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, while several others have accused the Oscar winner of raping them.
Weinstein’s representative Sallie Hofmeister has said the producer denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.
The New York Times is reporting new sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, including incidents dating back to the 1970s and a financial settlement the paper says the producer reached with a dancer in the 2000s.
A story published on Monday included the accounts of four new accusers, including a woman, Hope Exiner d’Amore, who told the paper that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in the late 1970s during a work trip.
Cynthia Burr, who had background roles in “Scarface” and “Lethal Weapon 2,” also accused Weinstein of forcing her to perform oral sex on him in the hallway.
The paper also reported allegations by dancer Ashley Matthau, who said Weinstein accosted her in a hotel room in Puerto Rico while she was filming “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” in 2004. The paper reported she reached a $100,000 settlement with Weinstein after hiring a lawyer and being threatened by Weinstein’s attorney with having her name dragged through the mud.
Weinstein’s representative Sallie Hofmeister repeated a statement that Mr. Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex. /kga