Here's Why Brad Pitt Worked With Harvey Weinstein After Alleged Incident With Gwyneth Paltrow (Exclusive)
Brad Pitt was one of the first people that Gwyneth Paltrow told about her alleged sexual encounter with Harvey Weinstein when she was just 22 years old.
At the time, Pitt was dating the now 45-year-old actress, who claims in a piece by The New York Times that the encounter occurred before filming began on 1996's Emma. A source tells ET that when Pitt heard of Weinstein's alleged inappropriate behavior, he "felt compelled to confront" the producer, telling him repeatedly that it better "never happen again."
"Gwyneth was someone important to him and he did what he thought was right," the source says. "He didn't think about the consequences to his career that might come from confronting Harvey; he just did what he needed to."
Despite the alleged incident, Paltrow continued to work with Weinstein -- and so did Pitt. Years after Pitt confronted Weinstein, the two worked together on the 2009 war drama, Inglourious Basterds. Pitt starred as Lt. Aldo Raine in the film and Weinstein served as one of the executive producers.
So, what compelled Pitt to commit to Inglorious Basterds?
"It was a great script that was sent to him by writer-director Quentin Tarantino," the source explains. "And that Harvey wasn’t at all involved in why he did the movie. Brad had minimal interaction with Harvey."
As for why Pitt hasn't spoken up about Paltrow's alleged incident with Weinstein until now, the source tells ET it just wasn't his story to tell.
"Brad's actions speak louder than any words," the source adds.
In the same NYT piece, Pitt's estranged wife, Angelina Jolie, also spoke out about Weinstein, claiming he allegedly made unwanted advances towards her during the release of Playing by Heart in 1998.
"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," Jolie revealed to the NYT via email. "This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable."
Weinstein was fired by his own company, The Weinstein Company, over the weekend, following the Times' initial article published last week, which claimed that he had harassed women for three decades.
In a statement to ET, Weinstein's lawyer, Charles J. Harder, called the report "saturated with false and defamatory statements." He also said Weinstein and his team are planning to file a lawsuit, with any proceeds being donated to women's organizations.
In a statement to the NYT on Tuesday, Weinstein's spokesperson, Sallie Hofmeister added: "Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein. Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. He will not be available for further comments, as he is taking the time to focus on his family, on getting counseling and rebuilding his life."
Hear more in the video below.
--Reporting by Carolyn Greenspan
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