[birds chirping]
-Jump. -[dog barks]
[cast members shouting]
This one is heavy!
Over here.
Need some help.
[soldier] Be prepared!
[director] And cut! Back to one.
I'm still not entirely sure how to…
You'll wake up very sore tomorrow, I would say. Yeah.
Your volume's on, you'll be able to hear everything.
[chattering]
[sobbing, breathing heavily]
I really want to.
But, you know--
You're scared.
Anyone would be.
Do you really think speaking out might stop him?
I think it's really important for voters to have this information
as they determine whether he's fit to be president.
What if he decides to sue?
Would The New York Times be willing to help me?
News organizations can't provide legal support.
You'd be on your own.
[chattering]
[chattering continues]
[line ringing]
[reporter] Hi, Rachel?
And you're definitely going to write about Jessica Leeds?
Jessica is absolutely on board 100%.
[Rachel] Okay.
I'll do it. I'll go on the record and say what he did to me.
You will? That's great, Rachel.
Thank you.
[reporter on TV] …in New Hampshire,
asking voters there to reelect the Republican senator
as a check and balance.
[chattering on TV]
-Violet, no. -[crying]
Baby, Momma's gotta go to work.
You're gonna stay with Daddy, okay?
Violet. Violet.
Mom's gonna go to work. Come on. Let's go see your animals.
-Come on. -Talia, you're my hero.
[Talia] Wanna show me your elephant?
[person chattering on podcast]
[news reporter on TV] We didn't find any evidence of evil intent.
You can't obstruct justice there.
[reporter] Morning, Jodi.
[chattering]
[news anchor] They might not be as enthusiastic as they were four years ago,
but we know where they are.
We know where young people are. We know…
Okay, just give him a call.
-Were you sick again? -[reporter] Yeah.
It's meant to stop after the first trimester.
-You should probably get some sleep. -Mmm.
Mmm.
I will as soon as I get a response.
From Trump's people?
What happens if they don't respond?
They will, but we can't publish until they do.
[speaking Hebrew]
[cell phone buzzes]
-Hello? -[Trump] Is this Megan Twohey?
Yes, Mr. Trump.
I do not know these women. They are lying.
And if I did something to them, why didn't they go to the police?
Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks didn't ever say that they knew you,
just that they were chance encounters.
The New York Times has concocted these stories,
and if you publish them, I will sue.
What about the leaked Access Hollywood tape?
Do you do those things?
I don't do it.
It was locker-room talk.
And, Mr. Trump, Miss Utah,
she claimed you forcibly kissed her more than once
when you owned the Miss America pageant.
She's lying. You are disgusting. You are a disgusting human being.
-[line clicks] -[sighs]
[CBS news anchor] Several women speaking out,
accusing Donald Trump of touching them inappropriately.
Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks,
telling The New York Times they were both groped or kissed by Trump without consent.
[CNN news anchor] …for a company located in Trump Tower,
claims the billionaire kissed her on the cheeks and the mouth.
[gasps] Oh, my God.
Fuck. Rachel, I'm so sorry.
[Rachel] I went on the record, you published, and this is what happened.
[Megan] Yeah, I'm so sorry.
I was prepared, you know? But not for this.
An envelope full of shit?
Was there anything written on it?
No. What can I do?
-I can't even leave the house. -Oh, yeah, fuck.
Well, you need to write everything down.
Tape any conversations or voice mails. You need to document any threats you get--
-Megan Twohey? -Yeah. That's us.
[Megan] I can't even imagine.
Shit. Rachel, I'm sorry. I have to go.
I'll call you back. I promise.
-[sighs] -[cell phone ringing]
Rachel?
[journalist] I'm calling from Bill O'Reilly at Fox News.
Are you a feminist?
[sighs]
Are you fucking kidding me?
[chuckles] I'm sorry. Hi. Hi.
-The final push till Election Day. -[cell phone chimes]
And as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump make their closing arguments…
-Bill O'Reilly's talking about you. -…the race has tightened even more.
[typing]
[O'Reilly] The Factor asked Miss Twohey to appear this evening.
She declined, no surprise. This is a tough forum.
She and Mr. Barbaro did appear
-on other cable outlets… -[Megan sighs]
…friendly to liberal points of view.
We asked Miss Twohey if she herself is a feminist,
-both on the phone and in writing. -[sighs]
She declined to answer in both cases.
I'm gonna go get some noodles.
[O'Reilly] Here's what she said about the article yesterday.
[Megan] You know, our story is the experience of many women,
going back over the years.
[cell phone ringing]
Hello?
[intimidator] I am going to rape you and murder you,
and dump your body in the Hudson River.
[line clicks]
[CNN news anchor 1] This night is turning out to be a real nail-biter.
[CNN news anchor 2] CNN can report
that Hillary Clinton has called Donald Trump to concede the race.
[CNN news anchor 1] CNN projects Donald Trump wins the presidency.
[reporter] Breaking news on Bill O'Reilly. Let's go to Julia Boorstin. Julia.
[Julia] That's right. Fox has just announced that Bill O'Reilly is out,
saying, quote, "After a thorough and careful review of the allegations,
the company and Bill O'Reilly have agreed
that Bill O'Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel."
Of course, this follows the boycott of over 50 advertisers of The O'Reilly Factor
after a New York Times report of sexual harassment allegations
and the report that Fox and O'Reilly together spent about $13 million
to settle those allegations from five different women.
So, the story…
-Job well done, Emily. -Thanks, Dean.
And you, Mike. Excellent reporting.
[Julia] …not be returning to his top-rated cable show.
Are we talking solely corporate misuse of power?
No. We're talking all workplaces
where sexual harassment might happen.
Also, let's look for the enablers.
Fox kept O'Reilly on for quite some time after our story broke.
And for decades before that.
The network only ousted him when the advertisers jumped ship.
Let's interrogate the whole system.
Why is sexual harassment so pervasive and so hard to address?
[chattering]
Hey, do you guys have a minute?
Sure.
So, I spoke to Shaunna Thomas,
the head of UltraViolet, a feminist group.
She said the wrongdoing in Hollywood is overwhelming.
She's in touch with an actress, Rose McGowan,
who has tweeted about being raped by a producer.
Thomas says it's Harvey Weinstein.
And that McGowan is now working on a book about it.
Wasn't he charged with something a couple years ago?
Yeah. Um…
Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, an Italian model.
She claimed Weinstein groped her in a business meeting.
The NYPD investigated it, but he was never charged.
Talk to Rose McGowan.
Try to talk to other actresses he's worked with.
Yeah, and I'll try to reach ex-employees.
Hi. My name is Jodi Kantor.
I'm an investigative reporter for The New York Times.
We're looking into sexual harassment in the workplace.
I believe you were an employee at Miramax
and worked for Harvey Weinstein in the '90s.
[former assistant] Are you recording this?
No, absolutely not.
I won't quote from this conversation without your permission.
But in your time as an assistant, were you aware of any instances
in which Harvey Weinstein treated women inappropriately or crossed a line?
[chuckles] Did Harvey cross a line?
-[scoffs] -[line clicks]
Would you like to hear her heartbeat?
-Yeah. -Mm-hmm.
[heartbeat thumping]
[Jodi] Mary, thanks so much for calling me back.
[Mary] Who have you talked to?
I can't tell you names, just as I would never divulge yours,
but if you wanted to share anything that you know,
that would be so helpful.
I don't think people will want to talk.
Sorry.
[line clicks]
[laughs]
[Jodi] Ms. Godrèche, thank you so much for responding.
[Godrèche] Before you continue,
I've talked about Weinstein in the past, but in private.
My immigration lawyer does not want me to be involved.
[line clicks]
Involved in what?
[line ringing]
-Hello? -Oh, hi, Rose.
Um, this is Jodi Kantor from The New York Times.
I wrote you an email.
Shaunna Thomas suggested you might be willing to have a conversation with me
about Hollywood, and specifically Harvey Weinstein.
Are you writing about him?
Yes, I am.
Look, I don't feel that inclined to talk to you about it.
[Jodi] Could I ask why not?
I've been treated quite shabbily by your paper numerous times,
and I believe the root of it is sexism.
I'm sorry that was your experience.
I've talked in the past, and nothing happened.
I spoke at a political meeting recently,
and The New York Times put it in the style section.
It does damage to shout, and no one listens.
I'm investigating systemic sexism in Hollywood.
How many pages have you got?
No.
I put myself on the line before, and it made no difference.
I've written about the workplace at Amazon, Starbucks,
and Harvard Business School, and change did happen.
They reformed their policies as a direct result of the Times articles.
But if you don't wanna talk, I understand.
And good luck with your book.
Thank you. Goodbye.
[Jodi's husband] I spoke to Dad.
He sounded worse.
I gotta go see him soon.
Could you go for a long weekend? You could take the girls.
I could take Talia, but not both of them.
I'm having an affair…
with a very famous actress.
You want her number?
[chuckles]
-She's so hot. -[laughs]
This looks beautiful.
You'd really like her.
[laughs]
"I am a nasty woman."
[crowd cheers]
"I'm not as nasty as using little girls like Pokémon
before their bodies have even developed."
-Is that Ashley Judd? -Yeah.
She wrote about being sexually harassed by a producer in the '90s.
She doesn't name him, but she describes him as
"one of our industry's most famous admired/reviled bosses."
[Ashley] …"homophobia, sexual assault,
transphobia, white supremacy,
-misogyny, ignorance, white privilege." -[Violet crying]
-I'll go? -I'll get her.
-[Talia] Mom! -[crying continues]
[chuckles]
-We'll both go. -Yeah.
I don't know if I can do this. [cries]
[Megan's husband] You need to rest.
Can you try to sleep, maybe?
I don't wanna be…
I just have this constant sense of dread. [cries]
You're tired.
Your body's exhausted.
[Megan exhales]
I think I would know if it was just that.
[cell phone buzzing]
Mom.
[buzzing continues]
Hello?
It's Rose. McGowan.
Rose, hi.
It's not just him you should be after.
There's an entire machine. A supply chain.
Of abusers in Hollywood?
Right.
They're worldwide, wherever movies are being made or sold.
Each studio does the victim-shaming and payouts.
If white men could have a playground, this would be it.
Do people know about it?
[chuckles] Of course.
I told a lot of people what happened to me.
At the Sundance Film Festival?
I was 23.
I was doing all these brilliant independent films.
I was just incredibly hopeful.
[door opens]
-Hi. -And then I went to that hotel room.
[door closes]
[Jodi's husband] Talia?
I'm here.
[Rose] He was on a sofa, talking loudly on his phone.
I waited.
And then we talked about projects,
and he suddenly said, "I have a Jacuzzi in my room."
I didn't know what the answer to that was, so I just kept talking.
We wrapped up, and he said he'd walk me out.
And I thought, "Well, that went well."
It was my first big meeting.
He walked behind me down a hallway,
and then he said, "This is the Jacuzzi room."
And I looked in, and he pushed me inside.
He stripped me.
And he was suddenly naked.
I left my body in some way.
And he raped me.
I went into survival mode to get out,
and I faked an orgasm.
He told me to get dressed.
He left me messages telling me I was his new special friend
and that he'd done a lot for other actresses.
Did you report it?
Can you see the law taking my side on that?
But you told other people?
I told a lot of people, and nobody did a thing.
Nothing.
Can I contact the people you told?
You told me this was private.
He'll have spies watching you now, as we speak.
I hope you know that.
[sighs]
-[cell phone buzzing] -[baby cooing]
Shh, shh, shh…
[whispers] Hello?
Hey, Megan, this is Jodi Kantor.
Is this a bad time?
Uh… Um, no. It's fine.
-[baby cooing] -Oh, I hear her.
How's it all going?
[Megan] Yeah, it's, um…
I just got her down.
It's the toughest part, I think.
Is it?
I found it to be so.
With my first daughter, I had postpartum depression.
Everyone's so excited, and it's like…
you're just not there.
Right.
So, I got your email.
How's it all going?
Yeah… [chuckles]
I feel like there are a lot of women who have…
been through something with him.
But they find it hard to talk.
And those who do talk to me don't want to go on the record.
In your previous stories,
how did you persuade women to tell you what had happened to them?
Yeah, so…
It's difficult.
They're terrified.
A case I made was,
"You know, I can't change what happened to you in the past,
but together, we may be able to use your experience
to help protect other people."
The truth, basically.
But yeah.
It's hard to ask women to talk.
[chattering]
[Ashley] Then he asked me to meet him, uh, really early.
And I had been up all night filming, and I was tired.
I went over to The Peninsula hotel, and at reception, I asked,
"Is Mr. Weinstein in The Belvedere restaurant or is he on the patio?"
And they said, "Go to his room."
And I went upstairs, and Harvey was in his bathrobe.
And he asked if he could give me a massage.
"No," I said.
And then, um, he asked me to help him pick out his clothes for the day.
He, you know, started asking for all these things,
increasingly more sexual, getting closer and closer.
And I just said no so many different times,
and in so many different ways.
And then he finally, um, asked me to watch him take a shower.
And I said, "Harvey,
when I win an Academy Award in a Miramax movie,
I will give you a blow job."
And I got out of there fast.
What did you do?
I told my dad, I told my agent,
I told the people with whom I was filming that night,
and Harvey punished me.
I mean, he blackballed my career
because I had the wherewithal to refuse him.
How do you know that?
I would be standing with other actresses, and he would blank me.
There were roles for which I was up that I mysteriously did not get,
and I know today that it was Harvey making a phone call.
You know, I did an article about it, and nobody did anything.
You didn't identify him, but did industry people know
who you were talking about in your article?
Absolutely.
And the abuse came raining down on me, not on him.
You know at the Women's March when I did the "Nasty Woman" poem?
I lost a huge advertising gig
because a small group of people complained that I was quoting the president.
He used that language and got elected.
I quoted him, and I got fired.
It is decades later, and it's still the same sexism.
And, Jodi, I would make the same choices all over again,
but I also would like to work.
[Jodi] Lisa Bloom, the lawyer, she wrote to me.
-Gloria Allred's daughter? -Yeah.
-Do you know her? -No, but I assume she wants to help.
I forwarded the email to Emily.
[chattering]
Jodi? Lisa Bloom.
"Big announcement,
my book Suspicion Nation is being produced by Harvey Weinstein and Jay-Z."
Weinstein is producing her book?
Lisa Bloom, daughter of feminist icon, is working with Harvey Weinstein.
But why would she do that?
How much do you get paid for a miniseries?
He's got to be behind Lisa reaching out to you.
So Weinstein knows what we're doing.
Sorry.
[Matt] Do you wanna keep going with Trump?
[Rebecca] Or you could join Jodi and look into Harvey Weinstein?
[chuckles]
I worry about whether it makes a difference.
These women spoke out against Trump, and he still became president.
But in the wake of O'Reilly, there's possibility.
[cell phone buzzing]
Sorry.
Craig. I've been trying to reach you.
You've gotta show up.
How's your daughter?
[chuckles] She's great.
Oh, s-- Um…
Sorry. I, um--
Thank you for the gift you--
Um…
Is anything bothering you?
Besides no sleep and diapers everywhere.
Are you okay?
I've found it quite…
difficult.
I'm sorry.
Will working help?
Yeah. Yeah.
Absolutely. It's better now.
-[journalist] Megan. -Hey.
[Megan] Are they all famous?
[Jodi] Most of them, yes.
I guess my question is just, like, is this the best use of our time?
Like, as opposed to other people we could potentially be covering.
People who can't speak out. Actresses already have a voice.
But they could also fear being punished by the film industry for using it.
Sure…
but what is it exactly that we're looking at here?
We're looking at extreme sexual harassment in the workplace.
These young women walked into what they all had reason to believe
were "business meetings" with a producer, an employer.
They were hopeful.
They were expecting a serious conversation about their work or a possible project.
Instead, they say he met them with threats and sexual demands.
They claim assault and rape.
If that can happen to Hollywood actresses, who else is it happening to?
Do you think his employees were targeted too?
I do.
I could search for any police complaints against Miramax?
Or court records?
Should I?
Yes.
[Megan] I found records of a complaint against Miramax from 2001,
but the report was closed out the same day it was made.
It says, "complainant elected court action,"
but then no court documents exist, which seems inconsistent.
Do you have any more information on that?
[government official] No. Those records would have been destroyed.
Really? Why?
It's agency policy.
All records are destroyed after three years.
Why is that?
As I said, it's policy.
So could you please tell me who filed the sexual harassment complaint?
No, I cannot.
-Because? -It's policy.
We are prohibited from giving you that name.
Is that everything?
This is very important.
It's about someone who's still very powerful in the workplace.
Who could still be harassing someone.
Is there any way you can help me?
You could ask me the name of the government investigator
who was assigned the case.
I could give you that information.
-Just a name. -Thank you.
I've made 20 calls to track this investigator.
What did Lisa Bloom say?
She just talked as though he was kind of naughty.
She was talking to me kind of Jew-to-Jew
and including Weinstein in the gang.
Oh!
I had a long conversation with Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner.
They wanna help, and they have so many numbers.
Amazing.
Did you know them before?
[chuckles] I don't know anyone.
-In April, when I started… -[cell phone ringing]
…I was literally leaving--
It's the investigator.
Hi, this is Megan Twohey. Thank you for getting back to me.
[investigator] Sure. How can I help?
Do you remember the case?
There are hundreds of sexual harassment cases at that agency.
This one was brought to you, and then it was closed very quickly.
That's not unusual.
It was filed against Miramax?
What's Miramax?
[sighs]
[Lisa] Harvey, I've read the thorough reports,
and Rose comes across as a disturbed, pathological liar.
Clearly she must be stopped in her ridiculous, defamatory attacks on you.
She is dangerous. You are right to be concerned.
I feel equipped to help you against the Roses of the world,
because I have represented so many of them.
I'd like to meet with you to go over this in some detail.
You should be the hero of this story, not the villain.
Best. Lisa Bloom.
I'm trying to get ahold of this assistant who worked at Miramax in her early 20s.
One day, she just disappeared.
All she left were her running shoes under the table.
I haven't been able to find her yet, but her mother lives in Queens.
I thought I'd just show up.
[doorbell rings]
-Hi. -Hello.
Hi. I was expecting your mother.
Oh, I'll go get her. Who should I say--
No, it's-- it's actually--
You're the one I wanted to see.
Excuse me?
My name is Megan Twohey.
I am an investigative reporter for The New York Times.
Would it be okay if--
Go back upstairs. Go see Abuelita.
Could we talk for a minute…
about your time at Miramax?
[scoffs]
I can't believe you found me.
I've been waiting for this for 25 years.
I would love the chance to ask you a couple questions.
What do you know?
That you were at the beginning of your career and doing well.
And that something happened.
And then you disappeared.
And that your father threatened legal action.
[exhales]
All I can tell you is that…
I had a business dispute with Miramax.
It was resolved.
Amicably.
And we've agreed not to discuss it.
I'm…
so glad to meet you anyway.
So…
it was "resolved"?
Yeah. It was.
There are women who have had settlements,
and they're bound to silence,
but we have written around them.
There are ways to report around that restriction.
The source can remain anonymous.
[sniffles]
I should go back in.
Look, I'm--
Sorry. I've thrown a curveball into your trip to see your mother,
and I don't wanna keep you from your family,
but would it be okay if I gave you my number?
She was terrified, Jodi, but she wants to talk. She really does.
[Jodi] Really? That's incredible.
Listen, Gwyneth Paltrow called,
and she told me about an incident at The Peninsula hotel.
The Peninsula? What the fuck?
Exactly. Where Ashley went to meet him.
-Shit. What happened? -[phone beeps]
Fuck. It's her. I have to go.
Hi.
[former assistant] Megan, we just spoke.
I'm sorry, but it's a no.
But good luck. Honestly.
[line clicks]
[Talia] So if you sign it, you don't tell anyone about anything?
Yeah. It could've been bullying,
or sometimes it's just a big shop,
and they don't want you to tell their trade secrets.
Did you sign one?
[chuckles] No.
So, shops have secrets, but newspapers don't?
I think pretty much everyone and everything has a secret.
What's yours?
I will tell you one day. Do you have one?
Of course.
'Course I have a secret.
[car door opens, closes]
[chattering]
[doorbell rings]
-Hello? -[Megan] John Schmidt?
My name is Megan Twohey. I'm a reporter from The New York Times.
Would it be possible to speak for a moment?
Come in.
I can't see what you want from me.
[Megan] You were the chief financial officer at Miramax.
The women who received these settlements, they can't speak out.
They'll be sued if they do.
But if someone could speak freely about the payouts,
that would be hugely helpful.
What payouts, John?
I'm not asking you to go on the record.
Just to have your perspective on what might've happened back then.
I need to think about it.
Okay?
Okay.
Sorry just to show up.
-Good night. -[door opens]
[John] Good night.
[door closes]
[breathing heavily]
[Megan] Hi, hi. Can you hear me?
[EEOC caller] Yes.
[Megan] Uh, I really appreciate you talking to me on a Saturday.
[EEOC caller] I hope the links were useful.
They were, but I find it very strange
that if I wanna access certain information, I can't.
The EEOC is all about information. What could you not find?
Well, for instance, which companies have had the most sexual harassment complaints,
but no one was permitted to tell me that.
Yes, that would be confidential information.
But do you think that's right?
Shouldn't the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission
be a resource for information?
Our policies are reviewed annually.
So do you know internally which companies have the most complaints?
Yes. We do, but we're not allowed to disclose that information.
So any woman applying for a job
is not allowed to check the record of that employer in terms of harassment?
That's right. You should probably talk to someone higher up.
[chuckles] I'm-- I'm going to.
I will, but don't you think that's strange?
That the commission is there to protect people,
but its policy prohibits sharing the information needed to protect them?
Megan, I'm not the head of the EEOC. I was just trying to help.
And you have. And it's the weekend. I really thank you.
-Okay. -Okay.
-Goodbye. -Oh, my gosh.
Amazing.
Incredible.
Mira or the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission?
Both.
-Hi. -Hi.
[both laugh]
-We're like reporting twins. -Yeah.
Should I go up and change?
No, let's go.
-You look nice. -You look amazing. [laughs]
-[assistant] Hi. -[Jodi] Hi.
-How was your ride? -Yeah. It was great.
[Megan] It was good.
I'm Helen. I'm Gwyneth's assistant.
Gwyneth will be right with you.
[Megan] Thank you.
So it's a total pattern. A pattern of behavior.
Gwyneth was invited to the hotel room, the business meeting,
and then threatened with losing her job if she refused him.
She told her agent. No one does a thing.
[Rebecca] Will Gwyneth go on the record?
She really wants to.
I think she does and she doesn't.
She is scared that it could turn into some kind of tabloidy sex scandal.
I mean, Gwyneth was 23. So was Rose. They were so young.
[Rebecca] Tell me everything when you get in.
Okay. Bye.
[sighs]
The only way these women are gonna go on the record…
Is if they all jump together.
Yeah.
[doorbell rings]
You take the lead on this.
No, you do it. You're less intimidating.
You don't find me intimidating?
-I mean-- No, it's just the height thing. -[door opens]
-Hi. -[Jodi] Hi.
We were just in the neighborhood.
We're from The New York Times.
I believe you used to work for Harvey Weinstein?
[door closes]
-Think she'll go on the record? -[laughs]
Okay. I'm just gonna…
[Megan] You wanna leave the note? Yeah.
The NDAs are never examined or questioned.
They rarely come up in open court. Law schools don't teach them.
Also, the attorneys who represent the victims
can get up to 40% of the settlement.
That's a big incentive to keep that system going.
Most sexual harassment cases are settled out of court.
And most of them have a confidentiality clause.
And the women who sign these contracts have to give over all of their evidence.
Their diaries, emails, phones.
It's cash for silence, and it enables the perpetrators to continue.
[Megan] And these clauses are standard practice.
The women wanna close the case. They need the money.
They don't wanna be branded as liars or flirts.
I mean, I'm sure it often seems like the only recourse.
And I imagine some women see these settlements as a confession of guilt.
They think they've scored a victory when it's actually a gag order.
And if you try and take a case like this to court,
the sexual harassment laws are so weak.
They're actually nonexistent if you're a freelancer
or if there are fewer than 15 employees in the workplace.
Also, most lawyers prefer settlements
'cause it's less of a financial risk for them.
How close are any of these actresses to going on the record?
We're introducing the idea.
I'm afraid we have these horrific hotel room accounts
and no corroborating evidence.
We feel they'll speak out if they're not the only ones.
Safety in numbers.
And settlements?
Three. So far.
There is Rose McGowan.
We're pretty sure about Ambra Battilana.
And I would say the same for the ex-assistant in Queens.
And no documents?
We do not have a publishable story.
Hey.
[Dean] So, look, team.
You have to imagine that every call you make is being recorded.
And you're being followed.
Don't let Weinstein talk to you, unless it's on the record.
I'd be interested in talking to him even off the record.
No, if Harvey has something to say, he needs to say it publicly.
I've dealt with him before.
It's ugly.
[Megan] We're looking into the incident with Ambra Battilana Gutierrez.
She accused Weinstein of groping her.
The NYPD gave her a wire, and she met him again.
[Jodi] But the DA wouldn't prosecute.
They claimed the recording wasn't enough to arrest him.
[Megan] Linda Fairstein worked in the DA's office. I've texted her.
-[Ambra] -[Harvey]
Linda, Megan Twohey here. How are you?
[Linda] I'm good, Megan. How can I help?
Yeah, I'm looking into a police complaint against Harvey Weinstein
that wasn't charged. Two years ago.
When you were at the DA's office.
Ambra Battilana Gutierrez.
Oh. Okay.
It seemed to go away very quickly.
There was no criminal conduct there.
The cops seemed pretty confident there was.
Do you think there was anything irregular about how it was handled?
-I don't. Why would you say that? -[sirens wailing]
[cell phone ringing]
Gwyneth.
He's here. I invited a few people over, and he turned up.
I haven't seen him for years. He must know I spoke to you.
Why are you so certain there was no criminal conduct?
Wasn't there a recording?
I don't think there's a road to go down.
No.
Do you feel like you're in physical danger at all?
[Gwyneth] I'll keep people around me till he goes.
It's a shock. I know he's watching me.
He's letting me know.
He can't do anything.
Gwyneth. I'm here. Call me if you need me.
Okay. Bye.
Linda, do you know Harvey?
I've met him socially,
but we've never been to each other's homes.
-Okay. I'm sure we'll speak soon. -Yes.
Goodbye.
We got a good lead to talk to a past executive at Miramax.
-Great. When will that be? -[patron 1] Hola.
Jodi's talking to her tomorrow.
[patron 2] I don't think she heard you. She definitely didn't hear you.
-Oh, my God. -What?
Ronan Farrow is working on an HW piece for The New Yorker.
What? Since when?
-[Jodi] She doesn't say… -Fuck.
…but apparently he's spoken to a lot of actresses already.
[waiter] Okay, ladies.
These are the menus.
-Thank you. -[Rebecca] Thank you.
It's pressure we can do without, but we just keep going.
And we continue to be thorough.
Pardon me. Excuse me. Hello.
Hi. Hello, everyone.
Did you see my friend over there? He said hi.
Could you leave us? We're talking.
I absolutely will. I totally understand,
but I was thinking maybe I could have a moment--
We're having a conversation. So if you could just--
-You should be doing something else. -[Megan] Fuck you.
-Fuck you? I would bend you over-- -Fuck you!
Fuck you! Get the fuck out of here!
Fuck you, man. Get the fuck out!
[laughs]
-[patron 1] Frigid bitches. -[patron 2] Frigid bitches.
[patron 3] That guy's an asshole.
-[Megan whispers] Sorry. -Don't apologize.
[chattering]
[Miramax executive] There was an incident in Venice at the Film Festival.
It was '98.
What happened?
What makes me most angry is the silence.
No one spoke out then, and no one is talking about it now.
He built the silence, and people complied.
He produced fear and intimidation.
The only alternative, seemingly, was to quit
and throw away everything you worked so hard for out the door.
You were terrified you were gonna be the next target,
so people looked the other way.
Within the company?
Yes, and outside of it.
I mean, he played the press. He played the agents.
How did he play the press?
By promising them access to stars in exchange for hushing up some incident.
What sort of incident?
Where do I start?
Harvey had this-- What did they call it?
"A physical altercation" with a male employee at a conference.
Then they settled with the guy.
And with women?
He pursued them.
Endlessly.
What happened in Venice?
I don't wanna be quoted. Period.
Understood.
We were in Harvey's suite,
and there were a bunch of people in there.
And there were these two assistants, and they were sitting there trembling.
And Weinstein was there?
Yes.
He was talking film and ignoring them,
but they were literally vibrating.
One with fear, the other with anger.
Can you tell me their names?
Yes.
And there's another woman you should call.
The two assistants are Rowena Chiu and Zelda Perkins,
and we have a third name, Laura Madden.
And none of them are returning our calls.
So? Show up in person.
Yeah. [chuckles]
They live in London, Silicon Valley and Wales.
Can you get on a plane?
Let me work it out with Ron.
But yeah, of course.
Documents, verification. You know what we need.
Hi.
Sorry to bother you. I can see you're busy.
I was looking for Rowena Chiu.
Hi.
Rowena's not here right now. Can I give her a message?
When will she be back?
My wife's out of the country for a while.
[chuckles] I see.
I did try calling her.
This a work thing?
No.
You must be Andrew? Andrew Cheung?
I'm Jodi Kantor. I'm from The New York Times.
Okay.
So, what did you wanna talk to Rowena about?
We're researching a story about Miramax.
I flew in from New York.
-You came all this way? -Yeah.
Um, could we talk for a minute?
Sure.
So, I've been speaking with people who worked for Harvey Weinstein.
You're going quite far back with Rowena's time there.
We're writing about his treatment of women.
Right.
And Rowena fits in how?
Your wife worked at Miramax for some years.
Yes. Mainly in Hong Kong.
I'd like to hear about her experiences working for Weinstein.
I'm confused why you can't discuss it on the phone.
[laughs]
I did try. It is always better to actually meet.
So…
And this is off the record.
My understanding is that--
that Weinstein possibly victimized your wife
when Rowena first worked for him.
Rowena's never mentioned anything like that to me.
What do you mean by "victimized"? Can you be more specific?
I was told that your wife may have received a settlement from Weinstein.
[scoffs] Do I look like a guy whose wife got a settlement?
Could you have confused her with someone else?
I apologize for taking up your time. I'm--
Would you just please give this to Rowena?
If you're talking to these other people, why do you need to talk to Rowena?
And if you turn up in my driveway, what kind of victimization?
It's complex.
I'm asking you to expand on it.
I really think it would be best…
if you asked Rowena.
Have a good day.
[engine starts]
[Jodi] I just couldn't lie to him.
And then it turns out he didn't know.
What if London is a repeat of this?
It won't be.
I spoke with an employment lawyer in the UK
and he told me that it was irresponsible of me
even to ask about breaching NDAs.
No one does it. They would get sued.
Fuck that guy.
Honestly, Jodi, fuck him. He has no idea.
I wish I smoked or something.
I'm staring at an actual brick wall
and all I can think is, "Fuck."
That's okay.
Fuck.
And documents.
So, Laura,
we are looking at a full mastectomy.
And we should schedule this as soon as possible.
I understand.
[line ringing]
[Laura] Hello.
Hi.
Laura, this is Jodi Kantor from The New York Times.
Um, I hope you've been getting my messages.
I'm in California right now, but I'm coming to London tomorrow.
Hi, Jodi.
Hi.
Um…
I'm so happy to be finally speaking with you.
I understand that you once worked for Harvey Weinstein
in the London office of Miramax.
Is that right?
Laura?
[Laura crying]
Laura…
[sighs]
Can I do anything to help?
No. I can't talk about this right now.
[line clicks]
[child] We're tied. You have the same pieces as me.
Hey.
Hey, my love. Come here.
Hey, now.
It's going to be all right.
-It's going to be all right. -I'm so sorry, Mum.
[child sniffling]
[waiter] Here we are.
Tea.
Thank you.
[chattering]
You know, other people have tried to write this story.
He kills it every time.
We're aware of that.
And we're not gonna let that happen to us.
Are you okay, Zelda?
Yes.
So,
you started working at Miramax when you were 21?
Yes. I was an assistant at the London office.
And how was it?
It was great,
but it would shift when Harvey came to town.
In what way?
Everyone became on call to Harvey.
And what would that entail?
Script meetings, discussions,
and more personal stuff.
Like?
For instance, I would have to go to his hotel and wake Harvey up.
Run a shower for him. Get him out of bed.
He would usually be naked.
And he might try to pull me onto him.
-What did you do? -Fend him off.
I found humor or aggression worked best.
Harvey was either excited or furious.
You never knew which it would be.
Did anyone on the team give you advice about him?
Yes. [chuckles]
Once, one girl told me to always wear my puffer jacket,
and to always sit in an armchair,
never the sofa next to him,
which helped.
And that's how I knew that it wasn't only happening to me.
What was happening exactly?
Bullying.
Emotional abuse.
I was just too young to understand it.
Harvey wanted people to submit to him.
And if they didn't?
Well, then he'd roar. And he'd spit.
He could destroy someone in seconds.
Were you scared of him?
Yes. We all were.
So, three years into this,
you were at the Venice Film Festival.
I resigned after that.
What happened?
I can't tell you all of it.
What can you tell me?
["Let's Dance" playing]
♪ Under the moonlight ♪
♪ This serious moonlight ♪
[Zelda] There was a new assistant.
She was my age.
She was great. She was very smart.
[both laughing]
And she was doing Harvey's evening script meeting alone for the first time,
and I told her to call me if he got difficult.
Was he pursuing her?
No. [chuckles]
Harvey said, "I don't like Jewish or Asian women."
-But that night-- -She called you.
No.
[knocks on door]
The following morning she came to me,
and she was sobbing.
I mean, she was hysterical.
Rowena, what happened?
-Sit. -[sobbing]
-[Zelda] And I held her. -What is it?
Did she tell you what he did?
Not exactly.
Only that no one must know.
But I knew.
I knew that he must've…
What?
She was so upset.
I knew that it had to be the worst possible thing.
I calmed her down, and I went straight to confront Harvey.
He was in a meeting with Scorsese,
who hated him, so it was a really big deal for Harvey.
And I went straight up to him,
and I said very clearly, "You need to come with me right now."
You went right up to them and confronted him?
Yeah. I was so angry.
And in front of everyone,
he stood up, and…
he followed me like a lamb.
And then I knew, then I knew he did it.
-And then? -He denied it.
He said, "I swear on my wife and kids' lives
that I did not assault that young woman."
And then I knew that he was lying.
He always used that line as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Always.
Did the assistant report it to the police?
No. She told no one.
We came back to London. We both resigned.
I told my direct superior,
who suggested we get ourselves a good lawyer.
I had no idea where to get one.
I found a company close to the office.
And then I thought it would be simple.
Criminal proceedings.
But our lawyer said we had no chance
and the only thing to do was to agree to a settlement.
And I said categorically no,
that no money should change hands and that we just wanted to stop him.
And no UK police were involved?
We had no case.
We had no evidence and no police report from Venice.
And, you see, with rape, it is impossibly difficult to get a prosecution.
And the lawyers kept saying damage limitation was the only way to go.
So I said, "All right, then. We have our own very real demands."
Conditions that Harvey would have to meet if we were to sign.
And what were those conditions?
We demanded that if Harvey had another settlement within two years,
that it had to be reported to Disney or else he would be fired.
Another was that he would go to therapy,
with me present initially, so that he couldn't lie to the therapist.
We demanded that HR would put in a system to protect the women and staff.
And it felt like if we could achieve all of those,
then that's what our silence was paying for.
That we were paying for him to stop.
So we signed.
And they had their own insane conditions for us.
What were they?
I tried to commit them to memory. They wouldn't give us our own copy.
What?
I was only given visitation rights to my own settlement.
That's in--
That's incredible.
But you memorized them?
I asked for letters, too,
which stated some of the conditions.
One said,
"We will make best endeavors to not help the police in a criminal or civil case."
We weren't allowed to talk to our family or a doctor.
So finally we signed.
They gave us some money.
And I felt completely broken.
I interviewed for other jobs afterwards,
but everyone kept saying, "Why did you leave Harvey?"
They all assumed that I'd…
been with him, you know?
It was horrible.
What did you do then?
I went to visit a friend in Guatemala,
and I stayed for five years.
I had no chance of ever working in film again
and I couldn't speak freely,
so I worked with horses.
You've lost a lot.
[chattering]
These are the original letters.
I had to have their permission
if I wanted to contact a therapist
or speak to an accountant.
I was "never to speak to any other media, now or hereafter existing, about it."
Jodi,
this is bigger than Weinstein.
This is about the system protecting abusers.
I want you to take these,
and I want you to use them.
I've got to go now.
Is it dark there?
It's, like, four o'clock here.
-Did you drink tea? -[laughs]
A little bit.
[Talia] Who are you meeting?
Just a few women.
Can you find me a shell? And a cat hat for Violet?
I will work on that.
Have you been okay without me?
Sure. You're back tomorrow.
I am.
-Yay! -[laughs]
So,
what did they do, the women you're meeting?
We'll talk about it when you're older.
Are they criminals? Bank robbers?
No.
Was it rape?
Talia, I don't think I've ever heard you use that word.
Boys say it all the time. And girls.
They shouldn't. That word shouldn't be used casually.
I'm sorry.
No. You did nothing wrong.
Are you angry with me?
No, Talia, no.
I miss you. I miss you like someone took a piece out of me.
[laughs]
I lost you, Talia. Talia!
[call disconnects]
[sniffles]
Oh, God.
They're trying to survive,
and he's there 'cause he's hosting the show.
-And he's probably going to help them. -[phone ringing]
-He's going to kill them. -Hello?
-What? No. -May I ask who's calling?
Probably going to help them if they need to get in.
Now, who's Potts?
-I know, but they don't look like-- -Mum.
It's another call from America.
I told you, sweetie, just tell any journalist, "No."
No, she says you worked together.
Pamela Lubell?
[chattering on TV]
Hywel wants to take his yellow pillow to Cornwall.
-No, we're not taking-- -So?
We're not taking any pillows.
Why?
Pamela?
God.
Hi, Pamela. How are you? It's been decades.
I know, Laura. It's really been a while. How's life?
It's good.
How's everything? How are you?
Yeah, I'm okay.
That's great.
Laura, have you had any calls from reporters
trying to write stories about Harvey?
Uh, I have, actually. Yes.
I didn't talk to them.
Good. That's good to hear.
Cockroach journalists.
It was great, wasn't it? Back then?
Harvey was always very generous.
That wasn't my experience.
Laura, can I have your assurance that you won't talk to anyone?
What? What did you say?
If you have a project, I can take it to Harvey.
I don't.
And I'll talk to who I please.
-[concierge] Good evening. -Good evening.
I need to book a flight to Cornwall first thing in the morning.
Flight to Cornwall tomorrow?
Yes. To Newquay airport?
-Newquay. -[Jodi] Newquay.
You'd normally just get a train.
Okay, train, then.
[Jodi] This is a nice place for a vacation.
-Yeah. -Mom.
Hi.
Um, Hywel wants to play at the rocks. Is that okay?
-Yeah, sure. -Okay.
Is that your eldest?
Yes. [chuckles]
Yes. She's 13.
You grew up in Ireland?
I did, yes.
And your first job was wrangling extras in '92?
They were shooting near us.
I loved it.
And then I heard that Miramax were making a film nearby,
and I got a job as a runner on that.
I was ecstatic. It was great.
And you met Harvey Weinstein when?
Soon after that.
I was going to be working directly for him.
Doing errands, answering calls.
I was very happy to be asked.
He was charming.
He was saying he'd heard how hard I worked.
And I was just excited.
I was 21, you know.
Very young, but incredibly keen.
So when he said he'd give me a permanent job at the London office,
I felt so happy.
[Jodi] He said that in the meeting?
[Laura] Yes.
He was in his bathrobe when he opened the door,
but I thought that was maybe very Hollywood.
But quite soon into talking,
he said would I give him a massage.
I said, "No."
He was very matter-of-fact. He said, "It's not a romantic request."
Everyone does it for him.
It's part of the job.
So, I suddenly thought that I was the problem, you know.
That I was the one who was sexualizing it.
That I was just young and uptight.
So, I--
I put my hands on his shoulders,
but I couldn't actually move them at all over his body.
I just stood there. My hands wouldn't move.
And then he said he would give me a massage first…
to relax me.
And he said,
"Look, all the girls do it. It's just work."
And then he said, "Take your top off."
Very matter-of-fact.
"Take your bra off."
And I did.
I was terrified, but I just thought,
"Get through it. Do it."
And then my trousers were off.
And he was standing over me…
masturbating.
I asked him to leave me alone.
But he kept asking for different things.
And then he suggested a shower, and I got up.
And he carried on…
masturbating.
And I kept crying.
And I was sobbing, and the water was pouring down,
and he was still masturbating.
Then he got angry.
I think my crying was so loud, it put him off.
And he left the bathroom,
and I locked the door.
-And I could still hear him… -[water running]
…on the other side.
Still the sounds of him masturbating.
Finally, I went back into the room itself
and grabbed my clothes and belongings, and I just ran.
I ran down the street.
I've never run that fast in my life.
[Jodi] How do you feel about it now?
I… [sighs]
I--
I feel like it dictated a certain direction my life took.
That-- I just felt that it was this huge error of judgment
that sort of marked me and all my decisions.
And--
I felt such shame…
that… I let him do that.
Did you think that he had done the same to other girls?
I thought that he must've tried it.
But that they'd all s--
they'd all said, "No."
It was like he took my voice that day.
Just when I was about to start finding it.
[Sarah Sanders on TV] …responsible immigration reform?
The president certainly welcomes those conversations.
[phone ringing]
Yes?
[secretary] I have Harvey Weinstein on the phone for you.
Put him through. Thank you.
Dean, how are you? This is Harvey.
Hi, Harvey. What can I do for you?
If I hadn't made movies, I would've been a journalist.
Dean, I heard someone was working on a story about me.
Yes. If you'd like to talk to the reporters on the record,
they'd welcome that.
I wanna talk to you, Dean.
Well, talk to my reporters about your concerns.
I'm sorry. I have work to do.
Are you gonna hang up?
Unless you have anything else to say?
I love the truth.
People make up stories a lot.
Be careful with that.
That's fine, Harvey. Goodbye.
[news anchor on TV] But essentially, Sarah Sanders was saying, "Hey, America."
Perhaps they didn't like it. They didn't put him in the Oval Office.
Pretty in-depth. But the focus was primarily on solutions…
[phone ringing]
-Hi, Chanel. -Hey, Dean.
Hey, Tim.
-Matt, you got a minute? -Yeah.
[Dean] So, what do we have?
Well, the biggest thing is the documents
that Jodi got from Zelda Perkins in London.
Rose is still off the record,
but she has given us permission to write about her settlement.
We're just trying to figure out a way to confirm it.
Harvey offered her a million dollars recently for her silence.
And?
Rose refused, but she doesn't want us to quote her.
There are still no on-the-record sources. NDAs are a problem.
[Megan] Laura Madden didn't sign one.
She's the only ex-assistant who is technically free to speak.
Ashley and Gwyneth didn't sign one either, but they're not ready to go on the record.
But Laura Madden has to deal with something very different right now.
[Megan] She has breast cancer. She has to go into surgery.
So, it's not likely.
I'm still leaving messages for Rowena Chiu,
but there's no engagement.
So, no more proven settlements.
Ambra Battilana Gutierrez almost certainly settled.
And John Schmidt confirmed that Miramax settled
with the woman I visited in Queens.
Anything more on the article from The New Yorker?
No.
Lanny Davis and David Boies wanna come to talk to us.
What do you think?
Don't we wanna wait and push for an on-the-record interview with Weinstein?
It's your call, Binky.
I'd like to talk to Lanny, at least. See what he has to say.
[Lanny] Harvey's not always that rational.
The reason I'm here as his representative is not to try to kill anything.
I wanna know that if you're including something like Rósa McGowan's claim,
then we can defend that.
[Rebecca] Of course.
Please.
I know you'll be investigating with due diligence.
Lanny, you'll have every chance to respond.
-Uh-- -And I trust it's okay to record this?
Oh, of course. Sure.
I don't expect you to name sources, but if it's possible for you
to let me know overall what your story's about?
We're looking into problematic behavior towards women by Weinstein.
Okay.
Harvey adamantly denies any allegation of rape or assault.
Nothing criminal.
But he is aware of complaints about his treatment of women,
and he is working on that.
Powerful men of an older generation
are changing their understanding of the meaning of the word "consensual."
Why women don't feel it's consensual even if a man convinces himself it is.
Do you wanna expand on that?
Uh, I believe there's a story to be told about the evolution of men,
and, in particular, Harvey, on this subject.
Would he be willing to talk to us about it?
On the record?
He has to deal with his wife and children before anything else.
You're adamant Rose McGowan's rape accusation is false.
Why is that?
Did she tell anybody right away? Did she show any signs of distress?
She told her manager and a lawyer.
Harvey was aware that there was a problem with Rose,
but not that she was accusing him of rape.
So I draw a bright line on the word "rape."
Anything below that line,
uh, he was aware of feelings, concerns.
Of what kind?
I'm sorry. What--
If the concerns were not about rape, what were they about?
The only way I can answer is, uh…
a sense of exploitation because of that disparate power relationship.
There's mental coercion that isn't physical coercion.
Lisa Bloom has been working with Harvey to help him recognize the difference.
-Lisa Bloom? -Yeah.
If Harvey had been made aware of McGowan's concerns at the time,
how did he respond?
I think he had dealings legally with her about them.
And how would you characterize those legal dealings?
I think he became aware that she did not regard what happened as okay with her.
I'm not talking about rape.
I'm talking about the effect he had on Rose McGowan.
And that rather than fighting…
"Rather than fighting"? Then…
Then what?
I think he has agreed to settlements
rather than litigating what might have been litigated.
As Harvey saw it, it was better to settle,
even if you haven't done anything wrong.
He preferred "to settle"?
Were there other cases of questionable intimate relations with women
in which Weinstein settled?
Let's say for now,
even on a background basis,
that I need to find out what my limits are legally.
Even if on background, I'm confirming settlements.
But the answer is, yes, there have been.
How many?
No.
[chuckles]
To admit to settlements this early, they're in real trouble.
We need to find out a number. We need to corroborate each one.
-I'm on it. -[cell phone buzzes]
Have you guys had any dealings with Diana Filip?
No.
I said no to speaking at a women's conference.
She just keeps on calling me.
Did you have her checked out?
The security consultant says she's legit, but who has time for these random people?
[cell phone buzzing]
Hello?
[ex-Miramax employee] I worked at Miramax. Talk to Irwin Reiter. He hates Weinstein.
[line clicks]
[cell phone buzzing]
Hey. Are you okay?
[Jodi] Did I wake you?
Um, yeah. What's up?
What do you know about Irwin Reiter?
Hang on.
I put together a file on him.
I need to write a good fucking email.
Hi. Thanks for meeting me.
You wanna get me killed?
So, Irwin,
you've been an accountant for the Weinsteins for 30 years.
I pick up the check, and I reserve the right to leave after five minutes.
So… [clears throat]
…what do you wanna know?
We have information on several settlements that Weinstein made in the '90s.
Paid to actresses and ex-employees.
Could you tell me anything about that?
Could you confirm those settlements,
and how it was from your perspective?
My "perspective"?
Would it be company money that was used?
You wrote that we're from the same tiny world.
Yeah.
Summers at bungalows in the Catskills.
Meals at Lefty's and Pop-Ins. [chuckles]
What do you remember about those holidays?
Gosh, I remember so many things.
It's the first time I remember seeing my grandmother's arms bare.
I knew those tattoos meant something seismic.
Yeah, how did you know?
I just sensed it.
Did your family discuss it?
Who else are you talking to?
I can't disclose that, Irwin.
You know, my parents-- they couldn't go there.
They rarely discussed it.
It's so mysterious, isn't it?
Why some families talk.
Some don't.
The money Weinstein was spending was, you know, crazy.
I tried. I tried many times to get the board to do something about it,
but they just kept ignoring his behavior and keeping him on.
Why is that?
Have you talked to LOC?
Or ZP?
Who is "LOC"?
There was this memo.
Let me ask you something, Jodi, that's really puzzling me.
Why are you asking about the '90s,
when Weinstein has committed so many more recent offenses?
I gotta go.
-I'll give you a call. -Irwin.
[Talia] Mom. [crying]
I had a nightmare.
Oh, honey. Come here.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
It's okay. It's okay.
I heard that Ambra Battilana Gutierrez just got a seven-figure settlement.
And that Weinstein now owns the audio of the incident?
These settlements, Lanny,
what are we talking?
I can't tell you that, Megan. You know that.
I'm not talking about naming you, of course.
It would just be great for background.
To know a number of the other settlements
that you're aware of.
-I'm not a bad guy here. -I know that.
My profession is to get the facts into the hands of reporters… [chuckles]
…but, you know, I can't help.
I keep getting 40 in my head.
[sighs]
Which would be ridiculous, right?
Right?
It's not 40.
Seriously, it's, uh, less than 40.
Well, good. That's a relief.
Sure. [chuckles]
So…
less than half of 40, then?
-Check. -Oh, and what the fuck, Lanny?
We heard that Ronan Farrow is working on a story.
No, no. That is done. Over.
I don't see you as a bad guy, Lanny.
I don't. I never have. I respect you.
[sighs]
This is all gonna come out, Lanny.
Publicly.
Generally does.
-Okay. [laughs] -[laughs]
What am I laughing about?
[sighs] Oh, Megan.
Lanny.
I'd say eight to 12 settlements.
And do you think that's normal?
For men to make so many payoffs?
I do. Yeah.
It feels like we're so close.
Do you think we'll get it?
What if we don't?
I'm having nightmares about him.
Oh, my God. I have them too.
Yeah?
I'm terrified we know all this, and we might go to our graves knowing it.
The story will run.
My worry is people won't care.
And he won't even be slowed down, let alone stopped.
It's like an ocean of wrongdoing.
I mean, can you imagine how many Harveys there are out there?
Every day?
I sometimes wonder…
when I had Mira,
if--
if all the trauma,
not just in me, but in all of the women I talked to,
if it just--
This darkness, this constant violence, if it just sort of imploded?
Maybe that's part of the depression that hits women.
Do you wish you hadn't signed up for this story?
Do you?
No.
No. [chuckles]
[Jodi] The last time we met, you mentioned a memo?
It was from an ex-executive.
And it was extensive, scathing.
She sent it to the board.
When was this? How did they react?
It was a short burst of behind-doors mayhem, and then she left.
What did her memo say?
That the company was a toxic environment.
Would anyone have a copy?
[laughs]
Hey.
-Sorry it's so late. -Mmm.
[Jodi] You okay?
Uh, Talia was up late. Violet woke up twice.
I have an inbox filled with enraged people about this insurance story
which is going to be huge.
There's already hundreds of emails here,
and there is… [chuckles] …a hurricane heading towards Florida.
So, I am going to somehow fly down there
and move my dad someplace else before he is literally blown away.
And I have a slight nervous twitch in my eye.
Let me see.
[sighs]
Can you get the raisin?
[both laughing]
-Hey! Hey! Holly! -[chattering, laughing]
-[cell phone ringing] -Slow down.
Here. Will you hold Crabby for a second?
Least they're having fun.
Hi. This is Jodi Kantor.
This is Rowena Chiu. I'm in New York.
Do you still want to meet up?
I couldn't tell anyone.
Not my parents. Not even my husband.
Why not?
I grew up in an immigrant household.
I was taught to keep my head down,
work hard and not draw attention to myself, you know?
In Chinese culture, I felt I had to protect my family at all costs.
And I was young, scared.
Can you tell me anything about what happened in Venice?
This is off the record, yeah?
I had the evening shifts,
going through notes on screenplays with Harvey.
One night, we were working,
and he kept trying to touch me.
I didn't want to make him angry. He's a very big man.
I kept trying to get back to the notes.
And that went on for a few hours, just trying to avoid him.
How did you do that?
I would just fight him off.
I'd worn two pairs of tights to buy me some time if I ever needed it.
But finally,
he held me down.
Not forcefully, but like it was a game.
Then he parted my legs.
And he said…
"Please, just one thrust, and it'll all be over."
I got away.
I was traumatized.
I was a Christian. I was still with my first boyfriend.
And you shared this with Zelda?
Zelda was completely enraged and very brave in facing him.
We both resigned.
But I couldn't get a new job after leaving Miramax.
Everyone kept saying if I worked for Harvey, why would I leave?
The NDA that we signed,
it stipulated that if I ever had trouble getting a job in film again,
I was to go back to Harvey or his lawyer, Hutensky, for help.
I asked them for a reference,
and Hutensky, he kept repeating…
What? What was he saying?
How much Harvey valued me.
We agreed I would return to Miramax
under strict conditions.
So, I signed for Hong Kong.
I thought he would be far enough away.
I thought I'd be okay.
But it was horrible.
I was a mess.
I felt incredibly alone.
I couldn't tell anyone about it,
and the isolation just ate into me.
[speaking Cantonese]
[Rowena] One day I disappeared from work.
I wanted to be dead.
I didn't know how to be,
how to keep going, living with it.
I tried to kill myself,
but I didn't know how.
[chuckles]
I felt I failed at even that.
I wanna give you this.
It's a description from an actress you would know and recognize.
What?
This person won't go on the record. I can't put her in the story.
[stammering] I-- I didn't--
I didn't know anything like this.
I thought it was just extramarital bullshit.
It's not.
Do with it what you want.
[camera shutter clicking]
-[cell phone dings] -[CNN reporter] …not a single bit
of aid or assistance,
and it's about 45 minutes' drive…
Shit.
This is it.
[cell phone dings]
[Lauren O'Connor] For your records. November 3rd, 2015.
I have experienced repeated harassment and abuse from the head of this company.
I am a 28-year-old woman trying to make a living and a career.
I am a professional.
I am sexualized and diminished.
I have been fearful about speaking up,
but remaining silent is causing me great distress.
He told me, "I'm a bad boy,
but what's important is that I'm honest about it."
He said the only thing I was good for was making babies.
An assistant told me Harvey made her give him a massage while he was naked.
It was horrible to see her so upset.
When I complained to their human resources executive,
the response was, "Let us know if he hits you or crosses a line physically."
Harvey Weinstein is a 64-year-old world-famous man,
and this is his company.
The balance of power is me, zero, Harvey Weinstein, ten.
Go write.
[Matt] You've got the story.
Once we publish, everything else will come out.
-And talk to Lauren O'Connor. -Yeah.
Get ahold of the Weinstein Company board for their response.
Let me call Lance Maerov.
Write it. Let's get ready.
[lawyer] My client does not want to be named.
That memo was never for public distribution.
[Rebecca] Lauren.
[lawyer] My client is here, but she's too upset to speak.
Lauren, I'm sorry this is difficult for you.
We're not gonna publish the whole memo.
And we will make it absolutely clear you were not the source
and that you declined to comment.
But we do intend to use your name for its credibility.
If you were a victim of sexual assault, we would absolutely keep your anonymity.
But as a witness to what went on,
it would make this story much stronger to name you.
Hi, Lance. This is Megan Twohey from The New York Times.
We have a memo here from Lauren O'Connor to The Weinstein Company.
What? Shit.
We wanna know, what did you do about it?
What did the board do about it?
Lance?
We did try to change things with the police complaint in 2015.
What about this memo? It was there and then it was gone?
Look, we were all worried about Harvey's behavior.
Can I quote you, Lance?
Yes.
Yes, you can.
So, Lauren's complaint?
It was withdrawn days after it was sent.
So, yeah, I let it go.
Well, why do you think it was withdrawn?
I really don't know why.
Look, are you sure that this isn't just young women
who wanna sleep with a movie producer to try to get ahead?
We have decades of allegations,
accusations of harassment, assault, rape,
and multiple settlements.
I know you're gonna need to speak to the board,
but could you wait until after the weekend?
Is that possible?
[clears throat]
Okay.
[Jodi] Ashley,
I know that ideally a lot of women would be jumping together,
but that's not what's happening.
But we do have a series of incidents and a predatory pattern.
You would be coming forward alone,
but you would be standing on a mountain of evidence.
Ashley?
Yes. I'll think about it very seriously, Jodi.
I promise.
Thank you, Ashley.
[line clicks]
[Dean] We go with what we have.
I know we need to be mindful of The New Yorker,
but couldn't we wait just a little longer, just for these women to commit?
No. We need to publish.
It's nothing like the whole story.
This can be the first arrow. More women will come forward afterwards.
It could be so much stronger, Dean.
It's solid.
We need to go.
How much time will we give Weinstein to respond?
Twenty-four hours?
[Rebecca] I'd double it.
Forty-eight hours. That's fair.
[Dean] Two days?
How many people could Harvey and his team talk to
in that amount of time?
David?
I'd go with Rebecca.
We want to be irreproachable from the legal side.
[Dean] Good. Let's call Lanny.
We'll ask to speak to Harvey and his team at one o'clock tomorrow.
We'll tell them what we have
and give him, uh, two days to respond or refute.
It's midnight. Go home.
-We will. -Good night.
[typing]
If just one of the women would have gone on the record…
Why is he taking the tunnel?
We just needed one woman.
Jodi. Stop it.
Let it go.
Maybe if we had been able to get them all into a room together.
A room would make no difference.
They don't wanna go on the record by themselves.
Would you want to?
[sighs]
[whispers] Hi.
Yeah.
Hi.
Shh, shh, shh, shh…
-[cooing] -Shh, shh, shh, shh…
It's been two fucking hours.
It's a tactic,
but I have things to do.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
[secretary] Dean? I have Harvey Weinstein and his lawyer, Charles Harder, for you.
Okay, let's go, team.
-You ready? -We're ready.
Put them through.
Harvey?
Charles?
[Charles] Dean.
How do you wanna do this, Harvey?
[Harvey] I don't wanna do this, is what I want.
Are they there? The reporters?
We're all here.
[Harvey] Who have you talked to?
We've sent you who we're covering, Harvey.
Who have you talked to?
[chattering]
[Megan] Harvey, we need some--
[Harvey] Are you talking to Gwyneth Paltrow?
[Dean] Gwyneth's not in the story, Harvey.
Why don't you tell me who's on the record and let me respond to that?
Yeah.
Harvey, how many settlements have you paid out over the years?
We were told eight to 12.
That's you talking. That's not me talking.
If Lanny spoke, he spoke for himself and not on behalf of his client.
[Charles] How much time are you giving us to respond?
We need two weeks.
You'll have two days.
[Charles] This goes back to the '90s.
[Harvey] If you mess up and don't tell the truth,
how do you look yourself in the eye?
It's been 90 minutes, Harvey, and we're gonna wrap it up now.
[breathing heavily]
[Dean] Harvey's just disputed Lanny's eight to 12.
We have to have corroboration.
Eight to 12 settlements has to be backed up.
-Who can you call at the company? -[cell phone ringing]
I'll ask David Glasser.
It's Ashley.
Pick up. Answer it.
I am. I am.
Ashley.
How are you?
I'm good. Yeah. I'm good. I just went for a run.
[Jodi] That's great. That's great. Running is good.
I talked to my lawyer,
and I've been thinking about what the right thing to do is.
Yeah. Of course.
Of course.
And?
I'm prepared to be a named source in your investigation.
I have to…
as a woman and a Christian.
[exhales]
[Ashley] Jodi?
Yes.
We'll speak soon.
Yes.
Ashley, thank you.
Thank you.
Ashley said yes. [crying]
She said yes.
Ashley said yes.
She did, Jodi. She did. [laughs]
Okay. Here we go with the whole damn story.
[Rebecca] The lede is Ashley Judd's account of the Peninsula suite.
Get a good Judd quote to end the section.
I'm on it.
[Dean] We publish as soon as the piece is in good shape.
Let's go.
[line ringing]
-Hello? -Hi, David.
This is Megan Twohey from The New York Times.
I thought it was fair to give you, as company president, a chance to comment.
Are you up to speed with everything?
I am.
The board had an emergency conference call.
David, the eight to 12 settlements, we have conflicting reports.
We don't need to name you,
but would you confirm for me that eight to 12 is accurate?
How many?
Eight to 12. Are we safe using that figure?
Eight to 12.
Uh, yeah. Yes. That's accurate.
I appreciate it, David. Thank you.
[elevator bell dings]
[sighs]
David Glasser says yes to eight to 12 settlements.
[both laughing]
[Lanny] It's not enough time.
-It's not just me here. -[Megan] Right. Yeah.
-You must know that, right? -[Megan] Yep.
I understand it's difficult.
What's happening? Is Harvey on the phone?
It's Lanny. Weinstein is refusing to give a response.
-[Megan] Okay. -[Lanny] Right?
[Megan] Yeah. No, Lanny, I hear you.
Listen, I can't pull a rabbit out of a hat here.
We need more time.
Here's the thing, Megan--
Lanny, I'm sick of this shit.
You've got five different lawyers reaching out to us.
We're not talking to five different lawyers.
Get your people in line and get back to us with your response.
This is not a response. This is a novel.
They call the women liars and the journalism false.
It's legalistic bullying.
I sent back three paragraphs to counter their 18 pages.
I've asked for their data.
-And I invite them to court. -Let's see how long
-before they get back to us. -[cell phone buzzes]
Waiting time's up.
Weinstein wants to meet. He's on his way here.
Do we let him in?
Let him in.
I've got this.
-Hi, Lisa. -Hi.
-Is this everyone? -Yep.
[Megan] Okay, follow me.
-That's what you're gonna do. -Only five. Come on. We've got folders.
We have the folders. We've got evidence.
You're a good writer, Megan.
[Harvey] Are you really willing to stake your reputation on this story?
-She's smiling. Everybody looks happy. -Would you smile if this happened to you?
None of these women are credible witnesses.
How's this one?
[Harvey] She's a nut.
She's a shakedown artist.
[chattering]
[Jodi] Is it there? Is it online?
Yes. They have it too.
So it's in both.
What happened?
What you'd expect.
Trying to discredit the actresses.
What's wrong?
Harvey and his team have spoken to Variety and Hollywood Reporter.
-What? -About us and the story.
He claims to be surprised by it.
This is bad.
You have to write fast. We've just lost any privacy.
Let me see the lede.
[typing]
[Jodi] All I think is we have to lead with this.
That has to be at the top of the paragraph.
-I think it's fine as two, don't you? -[Rebecca] I think it's right.
Go home. I'll check this.
Really?
[news anchor] And they're really appealing to people.
If you know anything, please come forward.
[Harvey] Why shouldn't I just do a fucking interview right now
with The Washington Post based on your lack of transparency?
You want some sort of list of who we're talking to for this story,
and if we don't disclose it to you, you're threatening us?
If you're using Gwyneth Paltrow, tell me.
We're not using Gwyneth Paltrow.
Are you talking to Gwyneth Paltrow?
Hey, Harvey. This is Dean. Here's the deal.
You need to give us your statement now. I'm about to push the button.
Dean, let me tell you something about intimidation.
I'll talk to The Post. I will.
Call them. That's fine.
You can call The Post.
Harvey, I'm trying to be fair with you.
You are intimidating me, Dean.
No, I'm trying to get your statement. Please, give it to us now.
We're about to publish.
-I want to give it to you. -Thank you.
Is Gwyneth in it?
[both] She's not in the story.
So here's what we need to do, Harvey.
We wanna give you every word that you wanna say.
So say it.
I also have a newspaper to put out. I'm gonna walk out.
Talk to my reporters. Take care.
Good luck.
[Lisa] You have a reckless disregard for the truth.
You want a hit story, and these allegations are false.
We don't want a hit story, Lisa.
Harvey's going to take some time off to focus on this issue.
Are you, Harvey?
[Harvey] Yes, I'm gonna take time off.
From the company?
Yes. I wanna spend some time learning.
-[Lisa] Learning and listening to me. -He's going to take a leave of absence.
Double space here.
-And here. -[cell phone buzzing]
It's Laura.
Hi. Laura, how are you?
Yes, I'm okay.
Today's my surgery.
I'm about to go in.
Um, look, I never signed any contract.
I'm not gagged,
and I want to speak out on behalf of the women who can't.
I have three daughters,
and I don't want them to ever accept abuse or bullying as normal.
You can use anything I've said.
I'll do it.
I'll go on the record.
Thank you, Laura.
Thank you.
I'll be thinking of you.
[sighs]
-Oh, Laura. -[laughs]
Oh, beautiful, beautiful Laura.
[nurse] Are you okay, Laura?
[laughs] Yes. I'm fine.
Thank you.
I really am.
[chattering]
Their statements are in. I'm pulling quotes.
Yep.
So, do you-- Okay. You're so good. [laughs]
-Have you pulled the quotes? -I'm doing it now.
It's ready to go.
Let's read it together one last time.
Yeah.
One second.
Yeah.
Okay?
[Dean] Okay?
-Yeah. -Okay.
[mouse clicks]