Quentin Tarantino 'knew enough to do more' about Harvey Weinstein
The director worked with the disgraced producer on several projects.
-- Director Quentin Tarantino has expressed remorse about continuing to work with film producer Harvey Weinstein over the years even though he was aware of allegations of misconduct made against him.
In a new interview with The New York Times, Tarantino, who worked with Weinstein on nearly every major movie in his filmography, said that he had firsthand knowledge of some of the things the former studio head allegedly did to women, including his ex-girlfriend, Mira Sorvino.
Sorvino claimed that Weinstein massaged her shoulders and chased her around a hotel room in an attempt to get physical with her -- a story Tarantino reiterated to the Times.
“I couldn’t believe he would do that so openly. I was like: ‘Really? Really?’ But the thing I thought then, at the time, was that he was particularly hung up on Mira," he said, adding that he was "shocked and appalled ... because he was infatuated with her, he horribly crossed the line.”
“I knew enough to do more than I did," Tarantino continued, speaking more generally about Weinstein. “I wish I had taken responsibility for what I heard ... If I had done the work I should have done then, I would have had to not work with him."
Over the past two weeks, Weinstein, 65, has been accused by numerous women of sexual misconduct, including harassment and abuse. Though he has acknowledged inappropriate behavior, his publicist said in a statement that Weinstein "unequivocally denies" any allegations of non-consensual sex.
The fallout has been great: Weinstein was terminated by the Weinstein Co., and then later resigned from the board. He was also kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and could face expulsion from the Producers Guild of America, too.
Tarantino explained to the Times that he regrets not taking all of the women's stories as seriously as he wishes he had at the time. Instead, he explained, he was able to "marginalize the incidents."
Men in Hollywood "allowed it to exist because that’s the way it was," he said. "I’m calling on the other guys who knew more to not be scared. Don’t just give out statements. Acknowledge that there was something rotten in Denmark. Vow to do better by our sisters.”