Harvey Weinstein and The Abuse of Power2 min read

At the hands of power, uncertainty is sure to arise.

When greeted by the ‘it’ man of Hollywood, who shakes who?

The talent of the individual or the sexual advances of the man you have worked so hard to see in a professional capacity.

What would you do? Sell the unsellable or make a stand?

This is the unfortunate truth to Mr Weinstein.

Perhaps one of the greatest Producers in the history of Hollywood; this is the self initiated downfall of a man whose story is inconceivable to the greatest of writers… Just like the rumbles of a stampede, you feel it before you see it.

The rumbles of Mr. Weinstein’s personal life are nothing new, the public’s attention and absolute uproar however is.

Harvey Weinstein holds the record for most thanked person at the academy awards, even taking home a statuette for Shakespeare in Love; has now been ostracised by the very organisation that so lauded him.

But it does not just stop there.

People who provide the ‘faces’ for Hollywood are now speaking out. Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie are just some of the women in the industry to show their utter disgust at the situation with Streep publicly denouncing his behaviour as ‘inexcusable’.

Even his own brother shunned Weinstein from the company the two established with a unanimous vote from the board demanding he steps down and cease all involvement with the company Miramax.

With this said why has Weinstein’s actions, which totals decades, lasted for so long?

Unfortunately, I think the whole situation is nothing new or myopic to this particular industry.

Neither is it acceptable in any capacity.

In its pure and simplest form, it is conceived power taking advantage of the perceived situation.

In anticipation of the public outcry, Weinstein’s team suggested to him that he checked into a clinic for addiction.

This would have been the first response to this situation from any good publicist.

In Mr Weinstein’s case, I wish the output from his camp was one of apology, but latest reports on him tell of him stating he sees the whole situation as a conspiracy theory and has stopped taking his treatment for sexual addiction seriously.

Sounds like a good start, right?

So just what could potential further repercussions include?

Well, unfortunately it is unlikely that any criminal charges will be brought to him. In any cases of sexual assault, unless reports are filed immediately after the event, it becomes extremely difficult to prove.

It becomes that oh so classic ‘he said she said’, which in law holds no bearings on a case.

He has already been laid off by the company he established, and shunned by the very industry he has helped sculpt over the course of his career.

The next few months are sure to provide the verdict…