Harvey Weinstein’s brother, Bob, has now been accused of sexual harassment
As if news about Harvey Weinstein isn’t literally one of the most disgusting (and devastating) things to ever hit our news cycle, it actually gets worse: Now his brother, Bob Weinstein, has been accused of sexual harassment.
In a statement to Variety, Amanda Segel — a producer on Spike TV’s one-season series, The Mist — has come forward saying that Weinstein acted inappropriately toward her back in 2016. According to these new allegations, Weinstein repeatedly made “romantic overtures” and asked her to join him for dinner on multiple occasions. It was only after Segel got her lawyer involved, and demanded that he cease this behavior or she would leave The Mist, did it stop.
The details of the harassment and proposition are downright creepy. Per the Variety story, “Segel had been told by coworkers that Bob Weinstein had inquired with them whether she was single.” Later, at a business dinner he, “asked Segel highly intimate questions and made romantic overtures to her, according to Segel. He wanted to know her age because he told her he didn’t want to date anyone younger than his daughter.”
In moves echoing his brothers, Weinstein invited Segel over to his house, under the guise that it would be for a party. But it was simply a way to get the two of them alone (she, thankfully, did not attend). In another instance, Weinstein and Segel went out to dinner again, and Segel brought along The Mist’s other producer — and he “was clearly unhappy with [the other producer’s] presence at the dinner.”
“‘No’ should be enough, Segel told Variety in her statement. “After ‘no,’ anybody who has asked you out should just move on. Bob kept referring to me that he wanted to have a friendship. He didn’t want a friendship. He wanted more than that. My hope is that ‘no’ is enough from now on.
In his own statement to Variety, a representative for Weinstein denied the claims: “Bob had dinner with Ms. Segel in LA in June 2016. He denies any claims that he behaved inappropriately at or after the dinner. It is most unfortunate that any such claim has been made.”
Over the past week and a half, many (many, many) allegations have been about Harvey Weinstein’s inappropriate behavior, and this is the first one regarding Bob. This is both shocking and sad, as Bob has been vocal about his own disgust with his brother, and appeared determined to fix his crumbling studio, The Weinstein Company. Earlier today, the elder Weinstein resigned from the board of directors at TWC. Now we’ll wait and see if more details emerge about Bob, and most importantly, how we can begin to fix Hollywood’s horrible sexual practices.
As always, our thoughts are with those affected.
