Yahoo News Tarantino regrets staying quiet about Weinstein claims
The following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct that some readers may find distressing.
Quentin Tarantino has acknowledged that he regrets staying quiet about allegations of Harvey Weinstein's misconduct for several years.
Over the last two weeks, Weinstein has been fired from his own production company and seen his marriage crumble as Hollyoaks star Lysette Anthony, Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Rose McGowan, Cara Delevingne, Ashley Judd and other women have made allegations of sexual misconduct.
Weinstein is also simultaneously being investigated by police in Los Angeles, New York City and London over allegations that date as far back as the 1980s. He has unequivocally denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
When news first broke, Weinstein's long-time collaborator Tarantino publicly appealed for more time to process the allegations before speaking out.
Five days have come and gone since that statement, and now Tarantino is acknowledging to the New York Times that he'd heard whispers about his Pulp Fiction producer years ago and chose not to take action.
"I knew enough to do more than I did," he told the newspaper. "There was more to it than just the normal rumours, the normal gossip. It wasn't secondhand. I knew he did a couple of these things."
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker continued: "I wish I had taken responsibility for what I heard. If I had done the work I should have done then, I would have had to not work with him."
Specifically, Tarantino said he'd heard from one-time girlfriend Mira Sorvino that Weinstein had made unwanted advances, and that the mogul had settled out of court with Rose McGowan in the 1990s.
"What I did was marginalise the incidents," Tarantino admitted, adding: "Anything I say now will sound like a crappy excuse."
Tarantino is now calling any men who knew of Weinstein's alleged misconduct to come forward and accept that same responsibility he has.
"I'm calling on the other guys who knew more to not be scared," Tarantino challenged. "Don't just give out statements. Acknowledge that there was something rotten in Denmark. Vow to do better by our sisters."
Weinstein had been perhaps the most important collaborator of Tarantino's acclaimed career, with his former production company Miramax producing early hits Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction straight through to The Weinstein Company working on Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight.
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