Actress Ellen Barkin questioned the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, just hours before reading his statement of apology and tweeting that she is ‘sick to death of apologies’.
Shortly after The New York Times claimed on Thursday that Weinstein sexually harassed a number of female employees and movie stars over the course of his three-decade career as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated studio heads, actress Rosie O’Donnell retweeted the story.
In one exchange with a Twitter user O’Donnell said ‘I believe it’, appearing to reference the allegations, but not mentioning Weinstein by name. That exchange prompted Barkin to question O’Donnell in a tweet.
Actress Ellen Barkin (left) questioned the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein (pictured, last month), just hours before she tweeted that she is ‘sick to death of apologies’
Shortly after The New York Times claimed that Weinstein sexually harassed a number of female employees and movie stars, actress Rosie O’Donnell retweeted the story. When O’Donnell said ‘I believe it’ Barkin questioned her on Twitter
Barkin went on to respond to other Twitter users and at one point she tweeted: ‘Until I have something to add to the conversation I will treat it like I do anything else, I will educate myself. He has admitted what he’s done, there’s the proof’
The actress also said she gives ‘credit’ to Ashley Judd for ‘coming forward’
‘Why Rosie? It’s a genuine question not a judgement either way but probably not the right forum. Right?’ Barkin wrote.
Barkin went on to respond to other Twitter users and at one point she tweeted: ‘Until I have something to add to the conversation I will treat it like I do anything else, I will educate myself. He has admitted what he’s done, there’s the proof.’
The actress then went on to say that she wasn’t ‘excusing’ the alleged actions ‘because he admitted it’.
The shocking Times report alleged that Weinstein once asked Ashley Judd if she would like to watch him shower during a meeting in his room at the Peninsula Beverly Hills and paid $100,000 to Rose McGowan for an unknown incident shortly after she filmed her breakthrough role in the film ‘Scream.’
That settlement is one of eight that Weinstein has reportedly paid out over the past 30 years, with Italian model Ambra Battilana also getting an undisclosed sum in 2015 after accusing the Hollywood executive of groping her and putting his hand under her skirt.
It was also inside his room at the Peninsula Beverly Hills where Weinstein allegedly stripped naked and forced a female employee to give a massage.
Weinstein initially did not deny any of the explosive claims reported by the Times, saying: ‘I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go.’
When that statement was shared with Barkin, she noted on Twitter that her response to the allegations would take ‘more thought than a quick tweet’.
When Weinstein’s apology was shared with Barkin, she noted on Twitter that her response to the allegations would take ‘more thought than a quick tweet’ and said she would be reading it
Barkin said on Thursday that she was in the process of reading the Times story, adding that she loved his mother Miriam Weinstein (center), who died last year at the age of 90
But late Thursday night, Barkin wrote on Twitter (pictured) that she is ‘sick to death of apologies, all of these endless meaningless apologies’, shortly after she tweeted about reading the Times report, which also contains Weinstein’s statement of apology
She also said she was in the process of reading the Times story and Weinstein’s statement apologizing, adding that she, Harvey and his brother, Bob Weinstein, ‘all grew up same time, same ‘hood’.
‘I loved their mother dearly. I always felt very close to Bob,’ Barkin tweeted.
But late Thursday night, Barkin wrote on Twitter that she is ‘sick to death of apologies, all of these endless meaningless apologies’, shortly after she tweeted about reading the Times report, which also contains Weinstein’s statement of apology.
‘Do something right or go f**k yourselves,’ she tweeted, without mentioning who she was referring to.
Weinstein later denied parts of Judd’s story, part of the reason he has chose to sue the Times according to a statement from his attorney Charles Harder.
‘The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein,’ said Harder in a statement.
‘It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by 9 different eyewitnesses.’
Harder went on to say: ‘We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women’s organizations.’