Harvey Weinstein banned for life from Producers Guild
Harvey Weinstein has officially been banned for life from the Producers Guild of America after being accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women, the organization announced Monday.
The PGA’s board of directors began the process of terminating Weinstein’s membership two weeks ago, and the guild’s constitution gave him an opportunity to respond before a final verdict would be rendered Nov. 6. Instead of doing so, he chose to resign his membership, the guild said.
“In light of Mr. Weinstein’s widely reported behavior — with new reports continuing to surface even now — the Producers Guild’s National Board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr. Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership,” the organization said in a statement. “This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr. Weinstein’s decades of reprehensible conduct. Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of Producers Guild membership. As stated previously, the PGA’s Officers and National Board of Directors have created the Anti-Sexual Harassment Task Force specifically charged with researching and proposing substantive and effective solutions to combat sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.”
Weinstein’s ousting from the PGA comes on the heels of the disgraced mogul being voted out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as facing suspension and disciplinary charges from BAFTA and the Directors Guild of America.
It’s been almost four weeks since a bombshell New York Times exposé reported “decades” of alleged sexual harassment by Weinstein. Since then the floodgates have opened, with high-profile actresses including Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, Heather Graham, Rose McGowan, Cara Delevingne, Mira Sorvino, and Lupita Nyong’o accusing the producer of harassment and/or assault.
“Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein,” read a statement previously issued by Weinstein’s rep. “Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. Mr. Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual. Mr. Weinstein has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path. Mr. Weinstein is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance.”
