Seth MacFarlane explains his 2013 Oscars jab at Harvey Weinstein
"Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing," the former host said.
— -- One of the numerous women who shared a story regarding alleged unwanted sexual advances from Harvey Weinstein in the overarching New Yorker piece Tuesday is Jessica Barth, an actress who in 2011 met the famed producer at the Golden Globes.
Barth, like others in the article, alleges that she was invited under the guise of a business meeting to Weinstein's hotel room, where she says he proceeded to demand a naked massage.
After telling Weinstein, "That’s not going to happen," Barth says she left the room and started crying uncontrollably.
Barth's former director and co-star for her appearances in the "Ted" films, Seth MacFarlane, took to Twitter today to explain a joke he made about Weinstein when the actor hosted the Oscars in 2013.
After listing off the nominees in the supporting actress category that year, MacFarlane said, “Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein."
Today, he elaborated, writing, "In 2011, my friend and colleague Jessica Barth, with whom I worked on the 'Ted' films, confided in me regarding her encounter with Harvey Weinstein and his attempted advances."
Barth played Ted's wife Tami-Lynn in the two adult comedies about when a man's (Mark Wahlberg) teddy bear grows up and the duo stay friends into their adult lives. MacFarlane voiced the bear Ted.
"She has since courageously come forward to speak out," MacFarlane added. "It was this account in mind that, when I hosted the Oscars in 2013, I couldn't resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction. Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing and anger. There is nothing more abhorrent and indefensible than abuse of power such as this."
The "Family Guy" creator applauded Barth and the other women who spoke out about their alleged experiences with Weinstein.
In response to the women who spoke out on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the movie executive told The New Yorker: "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. 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," according to the full statement from Weinstein's spokesperson. "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.”
Weinstein was terminated on Sunday, days after the first New York Times article came out citing years of alleged abuse and eight confidential settlements from the producer to accusers. In response to those claims, Weinstein acknowledged that he has "caused a lot of pain" and apologized for his inappropriate behavior and added, "I so respect all women and regret what happened."
But Weinstein's attorney Charles Harder also told ABC News in a statement that the Times' report from last Thursday was "saturated with false and defamatory statements" about the movie mogul, and added he is currently preparing a lawsuit against the paper. A request for comment on the status of that potential lawsuit was not immediately returned to ABC News.
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