The accusations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein — a personal friend of Hillary Clinton and major Democratic donor — spanned three decades.
His total downfall came in just three days.
That was all it took to topple one of Hollywood’s most high-profile and sharp-elbowed moguls — a combative power player who regularly dominated the Academy Awards and made powerful connections with high-powered Democrats.
The all-powerful Weinstein who was ousted Sunday night from the company he co-founded and that bears his name.
Following a devastating expose that detailed years of sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein, the Weinstein Co. co-chairman was unceremoniously fired by his brother, Bob, and three other directors on the film company’s board.
“In light of new information about misconduct by Harvey Weinstein that has emerged in the past few days, the directors of The Weinstein Company … have determined, and have informed Harvey Weinstein, that his employment with The Weinstein Company is terminated, effective immediately,” the company board said in a statement Sunday night.
For a domineering studio head long known for intervening in the edit room, this is very likely the final cut. His career in Hollywood, many in the industry believe, is finished.
Of course, it took much longer than three days for Weinstein’s fall. Details of the behavior that was roundly considered “an open secret” in Hollywood but ignored up by liberal insiders. And it took years for the alleged victims, including actress Ashley Judd, to work up the courage to go on the record.
Weinstein had previously taken an indefinite leave of absence following a New York Times expose chronicling decades of allegations of sexual harassment by the Oscar winner. The board on Friday endorsed that decision and announced an investigation into the allegations, saying it would determine the co-chairman’s future with the company.
But The Weinstein Co. board went further on Sunday, firing the executive who has always been its primary operator, public face and studio chief. Under his leadership, the company has been a dominant force at the Oscars, including the rare feat of winning back-to-back best picture Academy Awards with “The King’s Speech” and “The Artist.” In recent years, however, Weinstein’s status has diminished because of money shortages, disappointing box-office returns and executive departures.
An attorney for Weinstein didn’t immediately return messages Sunday. But Weinstein will surely be heard from soon.
On Thursday he issued a lengthy statement that acknowledged causing “a lot of pain.” He also asked for “a second chance.” But Weinstein and his lawyers also criticized The New York Times’ report in statements and interviews, and vowed an aggressive response. The New York Times said it was “confident in the accuracy of our reporting.”
The article chronicled sexual harassment settlements Weinstein made with actresses and former employees at both The Weinstein Co. and Weinstein’s former company, Miramax. Weinstein made his name with Miramax, the company he founded with his brother in 1979. They sold it to Disney in 1993 for $60 million. The company was a fixture of the 1990s independent film movement, launching the careers of filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Steven Soderbergh, and winning best picture with “Shakespeare in Love” and “The English Patient.”
The allegations triggered cascading chaos at the Weinstein Co. A third of the all-male board has quit since Thursday. The prominent attorney Lisa Bloom, daughter of well-known Los Angeles women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred, on Saturday withdrew from representing Weinstein, as did another adviser, Lanny Davis.
A spokesperson for The Weinstein Co. declined to provide further details on the firing. Messages left for attorney John Keirnan, who had been appointed to lead an investigation, weren’t immediately returned Sunday.
Pressure to act continued to mount on the board as more developments followed. Congressional Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, were exposed with thousands of dollars in donations they had received from Weinstein.
They donated the money to pro-Democrat organizations in response to criticism.
Bob Weinstein and David Glasser, chief operating officer, are now running The Weinstein Co. But it remains to be seen not only if the company can continue without its prominent producer but also whether it can weather questions of culpability in its former co-chairman’s behavior. In reaction to Thursday’s report, many in Hollywood called Weinstein’s behavior “an open secret.” The settlement funds paid out also may have come from The Weinstein Co.
Many in the movie industry vented their disgust with the allegations against Weinstein in recent days. For them, the allegations against Weinstein not only compare to those against Bill Cosby and others, but reflect Hollywood’s deep-rooted hypocrisy.
Still most of the A-listers who Weinstein led to Academy Awards nominations have been largely silent since Thursday’s report. On Sunday night, others celebrated Weinstein’s exit.
“If even 1/10th of the stories about Harvey Weinstein are true (and I believe they are), then good riddance,” said “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn, who added an expletive. “The enabling needs to end.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article