Quentin Tarantino admitted knowing for decades about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual misconduct, confessing in an interview published Thursday to feeling ashamed that he did not stop working with the mogul.
‘I knew enough to do more than I did,’ the Oscar-winning filmmaker told the New York Times, citing several episodes involving prominent actresses.
‘There was more to it than just the normal rumors, the normal gossip.
‘It wasn’t secondhand. I knew he did a couple of these things.’
Weinstein, 65, is accused of decades of sexual abuse and harassment by around 40 actresses, including stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Mira Sorvino, Tarantino’s ex-girlfriend.
Quentin Tarantino admitted knowing for decades about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual misconduct, confessing in an interview published Thursday to feeling ashamed that he did not stop working with the mogul. They are pictured together in 2009
Tarantino said he had heard about Weinstein’s behavior long before. The director’s ex-girlfriend Mira Sorvino (above together in 2004) told him Weinstein had made unwanted advances. Sorvino is now one of the 40 women accusing Weinstein of sexual misconduct
Los Angeles police confirmed Thursday they are investigating Weinstein over an alleged sex attack that took place in 2013, the sixth such allegation against the producer.
The disgraced tycoon resigned from the board of The Weinstein Company this week, having already been sacked as its co-chairman.
Tarantino said in the Times interview he had heard about Weinstein’s behavior long before investigations by that paper and the New Yorker which prompted a flood of further allegations.
The director’s ex-girlfriend Mira Sorvino told him Weinstein had made unwanted advances while another actress made similar allegations years later, according to the Times.
Tarantino said: ‘What I did was marginalize the incidents,’ Tarantino said, admitting that he had dismissed them as mild misbehavior. ‘Anything I say now will sound like a crappy excuse.’
Before the Times interview, The Pulp Fiction director issued a statement on Friday through actress Amber Tamblyn
He said he was ‘stunned and heartbroken’ to learn about the sexual harassment and assault allegations against Weinstein, despite knowing about them for years
‘What I did was marginalize the incidents,’ Tarantino said, admitting that he had dismissed them as mild misbehavior.
‘Anything I say now will sound like a crappy excuse,’ added the filmmaker, who won best screenplay Oscars for black comedy western ‘Django Unchained’ in 2013 and cult favorite ‘Pulp Fiction’ in 1995.
Weinstein and Tarantino have worked closely for decades since the producer distributed ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ in 1992.
The pair also collaborated on ‘Pulp Fiction,’ the ‘Kill Bill’ films, ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and ‘The Hateful Eight.’
Earlier this week, Tarantino said that he was shocked to learn about the allegations against Weinstein.
Tarantino has worked with Weinstein on all nine of his directed films. Last month, Weinstein through the director an engagement party (pictured above with his fiancee arriving at the event)
The Pulp Fiction director first broke his silence on the scandal on Friday, issuing a statement through the actress Amber Tamblyn.
Tamblyn, a close friend of Tarantino, posted the message on her Twitter account after the two had a ‘long dinner’ Thursday night.
The statement reads: ‘For the last week I’ve been stunned and heartbroken about the revelations that have come to light about my friend for 25 years Harvey Weinstein. I need a few more days to process my pain, emotions, anger and memory and then I will speak about it.’
Last month, Weinstien threw the director a party to celebrate his engagement to Israeli singer Danielle Pick, 33.