What Did Disney Know About Harvey Weinstein?

Michael Eisner, then CEO of the Walt Disney Company, talks with Harvey Weinstein back in 2004. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Michael Eisner, then CEO of the Walt Disney Company, talks with Harvey Weinstein back in 2004. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Hollywood is no longer afraid of Harvey Weinstein.

Ever since The New York Times published its investigation into the movie mogul’s rampant sexual harassment, dozens of celebrities and others within the film industry have said out loud what they long kept private: For decades, Weinstein terrorized actresses and employees in ways both predatory and possibly criminal.

Though it has finally become socially acceptable to criticize Weinstein, much less has been said about the institutions that surrounded him ― Miramax, Disney, The Weinstein Company. The old conspiracist question remains: What did these companies know and when did they know it?

There is reason to believe at least some people within Disney, which owned Weinstein’s production company for a dozen years, knew about his behavior. One former Disney human resources employee told us he received complaints from at least five women about Weinstein. “It was a known secret that the sexual harassment was part of his deal,” he said.

He couldn’t tell us much more, however, and follow-up reporting has borne little fruit. Disney did not respond to a request for comment.

So we’re turning to you. Is there more to this story? We want to know what you know. You can email us at maxwell@huffpost.com or jason.cherkis@huffpost.com or call us at 347-788-0919. If you use the secure email service ProtonMail, we are available at maxwellhuffpost@protonmail.com. You can also send us U.S. mail at HuffPost, PO Box 28154, Washington, DC 20038-8154.

The official version of the story is that the principals at Disney were shocked at the allegations leveled against Weinstein. Bob Iger, Disney’s chairman and CEO, was one of the first to condemn Weinstein, saying, “Harvey Weinstein’s reported behavior is abhorrent and unacceptable, and it has no place in our society.”

Former Disney Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was key in bringing Weinstein into the Disney fold, said he had never heard of Weinstein acting inappropriately around women until The New York Times story came out. (He has since called Weinstein “a monster.”)

And Michael Eisner, who was CEO of Disney for the entirety of Weinstein’s time at the company, was unequivocal in saying he knew nothing of Weinstein’s behavior. “Had no idea he was capable of these horrible actions,” Eisner tweeted earlier this month. The two clashed regularly during Weinstein’s time under Eisner.

Is it possible that some of the most powerful people at Weinstein’s company were among the very few in the entertainment industry who remained totally ignorant of his reputation for harassing and assaulting women?

Disney presided over Weinstein’s Miramax from 1993, when it acquired Miramax, until 2005, when Weinstein left. During the period, Disney gave Weinstein and his brother Bob near-complete creative autonomy, and they took advantage. It was under the empire of the mouse that Weinstein reached the height of his powers ― flush with Disney money, producing one Oscar winner after another.

He also reached at least one legal settlement involving his inappropriate behavior. In 1998, Zelda Perkins, then Weinstein’s assistant at Miramax, came forward with allegations she faced years of sexual harassment from the film mogul. “I wanted to expose him [and] thought that we could go to Disney,” she recently told the Financial Times. “But the lawyers were reluctant. They said words to the effect of: ‘they are not going to take your word against his with no evidence.’”

As part of her settlement with Weinstein, Perkins was prohibited from receiving a full copy of her nondisclosure agreement, she said. But she also said the settlement required Miramax to agree to two things: appoint three “complaint handlers” for all future harassment allegations against Weinstein, and dismiss Weinstein or tell the bosses at Disney if another complaint against Weinstein led to a settlement “of either £35,000 or six months’ salary” within two years.

An unnamed actress has sued Weinstein, along with The Walt Disney Company, Miramax and an assistant, Barbara Schneeweiss, the Toronto Star reported Tuesday. The suit claims the film mogul sexually assaulted her twice in Toronto back in 2000, when Weinstein still with Disney-owned Miramax.

In response, a spokesperson for Disney told the Star the company did not know of any complaints, lawsuits or settlements related to Weinstein during his time with the company as he was given “virtual autonomy” to run Miramax. “There is absolutely no legal basis for this claim against the Walt Disney Co. and we will defend against it vigorously,” a spokesperson said.

So, did employees within Disney know about Weinstein’s behavior and try to blow the whistle on him? Did the powers-that-be at Disney adequately address any concerns? And could Disney have done more to protect victims of Weinstein’s abuse?

Tell us.

Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Here’s how. Our emails are maxwell@huffpost.com and jason.cherkis@huffpost.com. If you use the secure email service ProtonMail, we are available at maxwellhuffpost@protonmail.com. You can also send us U.S. mail at HuffPost, PO Box 28154, Washington, DC 20038-8154.

This article has been updated to include mention of the Canadian suit reported Tuesday by the Star.

Also on HuffPost

Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html" target="_blank">told the New York Times</a>&nbsp;that Harvey Weinstein&nbsp;invited her to his hotel room and asked her if&nbsp;he could give her a massage or if she wanted to watch him shower.&nbsp;<br /><br />She told the Times that she thought, &ldquo;How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?&rdquo;&nbsp;

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/us/gwyneth-paltrow-angelina-jolie-harvey-weinstein.html" target="_blank">told the New York Times that</a>&nbsp;Weinstein touched her inappropriately.&nbsp;<br /><br />&ldquo;I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,&rdquo; she said, noting that when Weinstein found out she told her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt, "I thought he was going to fire me."

Angelina Jolie

&ldquo;I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/us/gwyneth-paltrow-angelina-jolie-harvey-weinstein.html" target="_blank">Angelina Jolie told the New York Times.</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.&rdquo;

Kate Winslet

<a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/kate-winslet-harvey-weinstein-allegations-sexual-harassment-scandal-1202584733/" target="_blank">Kate Winslet&nbsp;told Variety that</a> she had heard rumors of Weinstein's behavior for years.<br /><br />"I had hoped that these kind of stories were just made up rumours, maybe we have all been na&iuml;ve," she said. "And it makes me so angry. There must be &lsquo;no tolerance&rsquo; of this degrading, vile treatment of women in ANY workplace anywhere in the world.&rdquo;

Meryl Streep

<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/meryl-streep-harvey-weinstein_us_59db5d87e4b072637c45420e">Meryl Streep told HuffPost</a> that the women who came forward about Weinstein's behavior&nbsp;are "heroes."<br /><br />&ldquo;The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported," she said in a statement.&nbsp;

Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan has been vocal about the scandal since the New York Times published its bombshell report on Weinstein's alleged misconduct. McGowan, the Times said,&nbsp;was one of several women&nbsp;with whom Weinstein reached a financial settlement following the alleged abuse.&nbsp;<br /><br />After The Weinstein Company fired Harvey, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rose-mcgowan-weinstein-board_us_59db2ee0e4b046f5ad994249?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067">the actress and director called on</a>&nbsp;the rest of the studio's board to resign.<br /><br />"They knew," she said in a tweet. "They funded. They advised. They covered up. They must be exposed. They must resign."

Ben Affleck

"I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades," <a href="https://twitter.com/BenAffleck/status/917787533802655744" target="_blank">Ben Affleck posted on Twitter.</a>&nbsp;"The additional allegations of assault that I read this morning made me sick."<br /><br />Actress Rose McGowan&nbsp;denounced Affleck for implying that he didn't know of the abuse before this week, saying that&nbsp;the pair had previously discussed Weinstein's treatment of her.<br /><br />"You lie," <a href="https://twitter.com/rosemcgowan/status/917848581540757504" target="_blank">she&nbsp;tweeted.</a>

Lena Dunham

'Girls' co-creator and star Lena Dunham <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/09/opinion/harvey-weinstein-lena-dunham-silence-.html" target="_blank">penned an op-ed for the New York Times</a> calling on more men to speak out against Weinstein and others like him.&nbsp;<br /><br />"Abuse, threats and coercion have been the norm for so many women trying to do business or make art," she wrote. "Mr. Weinstein may be the most powerful man in Hollywood to be revealed as a predator, but he&rsquo;s certainly not the only one who has been allowed to run wild. His behavior, silently co-signed for decades by employees and collaborators, is a microcosm of what has been happening in Hollywood since always and of what workplace harassment looks like for women everywhere."

George Clooney

In an interview with The Daily Beast, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/george-clooney-speaks-out-on-harvey-weinstein-its-disturbing-on-a-whole-lot-of-levels" target="_blank">George Clooney said that</a>, for decades, he'd heard rumors about Weinstein, but dismissed them as&nbsp;gossip. Calling Weinstein's behavior "disturbing" and "indefensible," Clooney said he had no idea&nbsp;of the severity of the accusations.&nbsp;<br /><br />"A good bunch of people that I know would say, &ldquo;Yeah, Harvey&rsquo;s a dog&rdquo; or &ldquo;Harvey&rsquo;s chasing girls,&rdquo; but again, this is a very different kind of thing," the actor told the Daily Beast. "This is harassment on a very high level. And there&rsquo;s an argument that everyone is complicit in it. I suppose the argument would be that it&rsquo;s not just about Hollywood, but about all of us&mdash;that every time you see someone using their power and influence to take advantage of someone without power and influence and you&nbsp;<i>don&rsquo;t</i>&nbsp;speak up, you&rsquo;re complicit. And there&rsquo;s no question about that."

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence&nbsp;won an Academy Award for "Silver Linings Playbook," which The Weinstein Company distributed. She called the alleged harassment "inexcusable and absolutely upsetting."<br /><br />"I worked with Harvey five years ago, and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting," <a href="https://www.glamour.com/story/jennifer-lawrence-harvey-weinstein-allegations" target="_blank">Lawrence said in a statement.</a>&nbsp;"My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward."

Hillary Clinton

Weinstein was a major Democratic Party benefactor, having donated to or raised money for a host of candidates, including Hillary Clinton.<br /><br /><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/10/politics/hillary-clinton-harvey-weinstein/index.html" target="_blank">Clinton said that she</a> "was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein. The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior."

Barack and Michelle Obama

<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/09/politics/clinton-obama-weinstein/index.html" target="_blank">Weinstein visited the White House</a> multiple times while Obama was in office after having raised huge funds&nbsp;for his presidential campaign. Earlier this year, Malia Obama&nbsp;also reportedly worked for the Weinstein Company.<br /> <br />"Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein," <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/10/politics/hillary-clinton-harvey-weinstein/index.html" target="_blank">the Obamas said in a statement</a>. "Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status. We should celebrate the courage of women who have come forward to tell these painful stories. And we all need to build a culture -- including by empowering our girls and teaching our boys decency and respect -- so we can make such behavior less prevalent in the future."

Judi Dench

Judi Dench, who won an Oscar for her performance in the Weinstein-backed "Shakespeare in Love" and was nominated for two other films under his wing, denounced the alleged abuse.<br /><br />"Whilst there is no doubt that Harvey Weinstein has helped and championed my film career for the past 20 years, I was completely unaware of these offenses which are, of course, horrifying and I offer my sympathy to those who have suffered, and whole-hearted support to those who have spoken out," <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/judi-dench-says-she-was-completely-unaware-harvey-weinstein-accusations-1047040" target="_blank">she said in a statement.</a>

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio worked with Weinstein on&nbsp;blockbuster films like &ldquo;Gangs of New York,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Aviator,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Django Unchained.&rdquo;<br /><br />"There is no excuse for sexual harrassment or sexual assault-- no matter who you are and no matter what profession," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeonardoDiCaprio/posts/10154810955527116" target="_blank">DiCarpio&nbsp;said in a Facebook Post.</a>&nbsp;"I applaud the strength and courage of the women who came forward and made their voices heard."

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain has been one of the most outspoken critics of Weinstein and of Hollywood's complicity since The New York Times published its damning report.<br /><br />"I was warned from the beginning" about Weinstein, <a href="https://twitter.com/jes_chastain/status/917504541708443650" target="_blank">she said in a tweet. </a>"The stories were everywhere. To deny that is to create an environment for it to happen again."

Julianne Moore

Moore, who starred in the Weinstein-backed film "A Single Man," <a href="https://twitter.com/_juliannemoore/status/917400026120323072" target="_blank">tweeted that</a> "coming forward about sexual abuse and coercion is scary and women have nothing to be gained personally by doing so.&nbsp; But through their bravery we move forward as a culture, and I thank them. Stand with <a href="https://twitter.com/AshleyJudd" data-mentioned-user-id="248747209">@<strong>AshleyJudd</strong></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rosemcgowan" data-mentioned-user-id="46233559">@<strong>rosemcgowan</strong></a> and others."

Colin Firth

Calling&nbsp;Weinstein a&nbsp;"frightening man to stand up to," <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/10/colin-firth-harvey-weinstein-kings-speech-sexual-harassment-claims" target="_blank">Colin Firth&nbsp;told The Guardian that</a>&nbsp;reading about the allegations gave him "a feeling of nausea." <br /><br />&ldquo;It must have been terrifying for these women to step up and call him out. And horrifying to be subjected to that kind of harassment. I applaud their courage."

Tamron Hall

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a woman&rsquo;s worst nightmare to be in a situation where you believe someone more powerful has control over your life,&rdquo; former "Today" show host Tamron Hall&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tamron-hall-weinstein-reaction_us_59dd4e95e4b0b26332e7acd6">told HuffPost</a>. She called the allegations against Weinstein "horrifying."

Blake Lively

Blake Lively spoke out against Weinstein in an interview with <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/blake-lively-addresses-harvey-weinstein-allegations-devastating-hear-1047599" target="_blank">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.&nbsp;<br /><br />The actress said that she was unaware of the abuse but admitted that "it's devastating to hear."&nbsp;<br /><br />"It's important that women are furious right now. It's important that there is an uprising. It's important that we don't stand for this and that we don't focus on one or two or three or four stories. It's important that we focus on humanity in general and say, 'This is unacceptable.'"

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts gave a statement to <a href="http://people.com/movies/julia-roberts-women-harvey-weinstein/" target="_blank">People</a>, saying, &ldquo;A corrupt, powerful man wields his influence to abuse and manipulate&nbsp;women. We&rsquo;ve heard this infuriating, heartbreaking story countless times before. And now here we go&nbsp;again. I stand firm in the hope that we will finally come together as a&nbsp;society to stand up against this kind of predatory behavior, to help&nbsp;victims find their voices and their healing, and to stop it once and for&nbsp;all."

Ryan Gosling

&ldquo;I want to add my voice of support for the women who have had the courage to speak out against Harvey Weinstein,&rdquo; Gosling <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ryan-gosling-on-weinstein-he-is-emblematic-of-a-systemic-problem_us_59dfb2b8e4b0a52aca1672b6" target="_blank">wrote in a note on Twitter</a>. &ldquo;Like most people in Hollywood, I have worked with him and I&rsquo;m deeply disappointed in myself for being so oblivious to these devastating experiences of sexual harassment and abuse. He is emblematic of a systemic problem. Men should stand with women and work together until there is real accountability and change.&rdquo;

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.