Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino now admits that he and “everyone who was close” to disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein knew of his sordid behavior before The New York Times released an exposé earlier this month.
The man behind “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Kill Bill” and a slew of hits at Weinstein Co agreed to an interview with The Times this week to discuss what he knew about the decades of sexual harassment allegations against Mr. Weinstein. The director said it would be “impossible” for the 65-year-old’s inner circle to claim ignorance of his behavior.
“I knew enough to do more than I did,” Mr. Tarantino, 54, said for a piece published Friday. “There was more to it than just the normal rumors, the normal gossip. It wasn’t secondhand. I knew he did a couple of these things. 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.”
The director added that he interpreted Mr. Weinstein’s actions towards former girlfriend Mira Sorvino as a “Svengali kind” of infatuation.
“We allowed it to exist because that’s the way it was. […] I’m calling on the other guys who knew more to not be scared,” Mr. Tarantino continued. ” Don’t just give out statements. Acknowledge that there was something rotten in Denmark. Vow to do better by our sisters.”
Weinstein Co fired its former co-chairman Oct. 8. He then resigned from its board Oct. 17.
SEE ALSO: Jane Fonda ‘ashamed’ of her silence on Weinstein: ‘I found out about Harvey a year ago’
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.