As Harvey Weinstein's criminal trial begins, here are the people who tried to protect him and what they have to say for themselves now

harvey weinstein
harvey weinstein

Atilgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

  • Harvey Weinstein began his trial in a Manhattan court on January 6.

  • In 2017, investigations uncovered numerous allegations of sexual assault against legendary producer Harvey Weinstein.

  • Since then, the details of Weinstein's powerful social and legal network have been revealed by the same reporters and taken center stage in court proceedings against the disgraced producer that began in 2020 over several counts of varied sexual misconduct.

  • Some Hollywood heavyweights sounded off on the case, and key figures who were closest to Weinstein in the fallout of the investigations fought hard to push back on the reports.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In 2017, the New York Times and The New Yorker published investigations into repeated settlements paid out by legendary producer Harvey Weinstein over the course of several years in response to sexual misconduct allegations.

Since then, more of Weinstein's accusers have come forward and reporters have mapped out an extensive network of women who have said they were harassed or assaulted by him, culminating in the disgraced producer facing criminal charges in New York and Los Angeles for a wide array of sexual misconduct.

In the midst of the initial allegations, some top lawyers and celebrities were vocal about not rushing to judgment in Weinstein's case, with some even coming to his defense.

In the time since, some have walked back and clarified their comments in the wake of the case that shook Hollywood and set off the #MeToo movement as books, "She Said" and "Catch and Kill," by the reporters who broke the Weinstein story, detailed the extensive networks that worked to defend Weinstein and silence his accusers.

These are the people that defended Harvey Weinstein, and what they have to say on the matter now.

Attorney Lisa Bloom

lisa bloom
lisa bloom

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

Bloom was arguably the most surprising member of Weinstein's defense, and triggered massive blowback when she joined his team as a legal adviser.

She resigned two days after the Times released its investigation and later said she regrets joining the defense, saying she joined the team to "educate him about sexual harassment laws, about the power imbalance, about what is appropriate and not appropriate in the workplace," but was later  "mortified that I was connected with him in any way."

In a November 10, 2017 appearance on The View, Bloom said she was interested in the case because it gave her "the opportunity get on the inside and talk to this guy directly," and she wanted Weinstein "to change the response...apologize for what you did, acknowledge the wrongdoing, don't go after the women... that is what he did. I did accomplish that."

However, Bloom has also claimed sweeping ignorance that doesn't match up with a memo published in "She Said" that shows Bloom was working with Weinstein at a rate of $895 an hour to quash the journalists' investigation and organize a multi-faceted campaign to silence one of his most high-profile accusers, Rose McGowan.

Once the full spectrum of allegations had been surfaced in detail in the Times investigation, Bloom said she was "shocked."

When reached for comment, Bloom referred to a previous statement given to outlets after "She Said" and "Catch and Kill" were released, where reiterated that joining the team was a "colossal mistake."

"I thank Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey and Ronan Farrow for forcing me to confront the colossal mistake I made in working for Weinstein two years ago," she wrote. "While painful, I learn so much more from my mistakes than my successes.

Attorney David Boies

david boies
david boies

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

In addition to being Weinstein's longtime lawyer, Boies took extraordinary measures to undermine the Times' investigation into the allegations against the producer, who has worked with Boies and his family on projects including a book deal and a role for Boies's daughter, an aspiring actress.

Boies personally signed a contract with a private investigation organization, Black Cube, to smear and discredit the investigation into Weinstein and mislead Times reporters in an undercover operation that was eventually unearthed and cost Boies's firm its contract with the Times.

In Ronan Farrow's November 2017 article detailing the extensive network around Weinstein that silenced his accusers and threatened the Times' investigation, Boies said, "I don't believe former lawyers should criticize former clients," but acknowledged his role in suppressing the allegations.

"Although he vigorously denies using physical force, Mr. Weinstein has himself recognized that his contact with women was indefensible and incredibly hurtful," Boies told Farrow. "In retrospect, I knew enough in 2015 that I believe I should have been on notice of a problem, and done something about it. I don't know what, if anything, happened after 2015, but to the extent it did, I think I have some responsibility. I also think that if people had taken action earlier it would have been better for Mr. Weinstein."

Boies did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment.

Attorney Gloria Allred

Gloria Allred
Gloria Allred

Reuters

Though Allred has a longtime reputation as one of the most vocal crusaders against sexual harassment and assault, "She Said" revealed her key role in the network around the Weinstein case that silenced at least one accuser with overwhelmingly common legal and financial arrangements.

Ashley Matthau is identified in "She Said" as a dancer who said she first met Allred shortly after she was assaulted by Weinstein while filming a movie. Allred's firm went on to help negotiate a confidential settlement in 2004 between Weinstein and Matthau, of which Allred took a 40% cut.

Allred told Ronan Farrow in 2017 that her firm had represented "thousands" of people who have entered into confidential settlements and said, "some people don't want their parents, their friends, members of their community to know."

Allred hasn't aired any regrets since, even defending confidential settlements in an interview included in "She Said" as an option for accusers, adding that clients are not forced to sign them and can be optimal for those looking for closure and privacy.

Allred did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Hillary Clinton's publicist, Nick Merrill

nick merrill clinton
nick merrill clinton

Brooks Kraft/ Getty Images

Farrow reported that he was digging into Clinton's ties to Weinstein, such as Weinstein's donation of more than $26,000 to her campaigns since her Senate run in 2000.

Farrow wrote that her publicist Nick Merrill sent him an email trying to prevent the story's release, writing that the "big story" he was working on was a "concern for us."

Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the authors of "She Said," reported that actress Lena Dunham had told them she warned Clinton's campaign as a whole to cut ties with Weinstein, which went ignored.

Merrill did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

NBC Universal CEO Stephen Burke

steve bruke nbc
steve bruke nbc

Alexander Tamargo/Telemundo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Farrow reported that Burke, who is also a top executive at the network's parent company Comcast, made the ultimate decision for NBC News to not run the story detailing allegations against Weinstein.

Burke "had a rapport" with Weinstein throughout the reporting process and a former member of Weinstein's staff described the executive to Farrow as being "in Weinstein's pocket," according to Farrow's written account.

The executive has also been under scrutiny for Farrow's claim that he was warned in 2015 of a culture of sexual harassment at NBC's news division, two years before anchor Matt Lauer was fired for harassment amid graphic allegations that surfaced from three initial accusers.

A person close to NBC News told Insider that Burke did not have a relationship with Weinstein and did not actively stifle the story.

NBC News President Noah Oppenheim

noah oppenheim nbc
noah oppenheim nbc

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Museum of the Moving Image

Farrow details NBC News President Noah Oppenheim's key role in kicking off the story by suggesting he interview Rose McGowan, who he said he noticed had "tweeted something about a studio head."

McGowan would go on to be one of the report's key sources, telling Farrow and his team that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, but as Farrow's reporting charged on, he wrote in the book that Oppenheim became one of his most direct opponents in releasing the report.

"Harvey Weinstein grabbing a lady's breasts a couple of years ago, that's not national news," Oppenheim said, according to the book, before telling Farrow it would be a better fit for The Hollywood Reporter, or the "Today" show. It was one of several hard stops Farrow wrote that Oppenheim ordered.

Farrow claimed that Oppenheim was aware of the allegations, though the executive has denied any knowledge and dismissed Farrow's book as "a smear."

A person close to NBC News told Insider that Oppenheim did not have a relationship with Weinstein and did not actively stifle the story.

NBC News and MSNBC Chairman Andy Lack

andrew lack
andrew lack

Rob Kim/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Farrow reported that NBC News and MSNBC Chairman Andy Lack, an NBC veteran, was one of Weinstein's key points of contact that he pressured to get the story on his misconduct killed.

Lack is described as one of Weinstein's surest allies among NBC executives, as Farrow cited a phone call between Lack and Weinstein's lead attorney David Boies, during which Lack told Boies that there wouldn't be a story.

"We've told Harvey we're not doing a story," Lack reportedly said. "If we decide to do a story, we'll tell him."

Nearly one year after the story was released, Lack pushed back on Farrow's allegations, writing in a memo to employees obtained by Insider echoing his colleagues' defenses that he didn't feel there were enough sources and corroborating information to publish the story, and even included a 10-page timeline of the reporting process.

A person close to NBC News told Insider that Lack did not have a relationship with Weinstein and did not actively stifle the story.

MSNBC President Phil Griffin

phil griffin
phil griffin

Frederick Brown/MSNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Griffin, along with Lack and Oppenheim, were part of the "the triumvirate," a term Farrow wrote that Weinstein's assistants coined to refer to the executives that fielded his calls as Farrow's reporting continued throughout 2017.

In a "fact sheet" released by Oppenheim to push back on some of the book's claims, he wrote that Griffin received 13 calls from Weinstein, but had no role in supervising Farrow or his reporting.

A person close to NBC News told Insider that Griffin did not have a relationship with Weinstein and did not actively stifle the story.

Actress Lindsey Lohan

lindsey lohan
lindsey lohan

Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

The actress sparked blowback when she took to her Instagram story to say that in the wake of the allegations, she felt "very bad for Harvey Weinstein right now," and she didn't think "it's right what's going on."

"He's never harmed me or done anything to me," Lohan said, according to Vanity Fair. "We've done several movies together. And so I think everyone needs to stop. I think it's wrong. So stand up."

Lohan quickly took down the supportive videos she posted to Instagram before saying in a statement to the Daily Mail: "As someone who has lived their life in the public eye, I feel that allegations should always be made to the authorities and not played out in the media."

Representatives for Lohan did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment.

Designer Donna Karan

donna karan
donna karan

Brian Ach/Getty Images for Urban Zen

The DKNY founder told the Daily Mail in October 2017 that she thought "we have to look at ourselves," before pointing to accusers as the potential problem.

"You look at everything all over the world today and how women are dressing and what they are asking by just presenting themselves the way they do," Karan said. "What are they asking for? Trouble."

She described Weinstein and his wife Georgina Chapman as "wonderful people."

One day later, Karan released a statement saying that her comments "were taken out of context and do not represent how I feel about the current situation concerning Harvey Weinstein," but did not appear to be edited out of context.

"I believe that sexual harassment is NOT acceptable and this is an issue that MUST be addressed once and for all regardless of the individual," she clarified.

DKNY did not immediately return request for comment.

Director Oliver Stone

oliver stone
oliver stone

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Oscar-winning director Stone said shortly after the allegations were reported that he would withhold judgment until the case reached court, and said, "a man shouldn't be condemned by a vigilante system."

"I'm a believer that you wait until this thing gets to trial," Stone said in October 2017, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "It's not easy what he's going through, either. During that period he was a rival. I never did business with him and didn't really know him. I've heard horror stories on everyone in the business, so I'm not going to comment on gossip. I'll wait and see, which is the right thing to do."

After his comments were published, Stone wrote on Facebook that when he initially spoke, he was unaware of the extent of the allegations against Weinstein because he was traveling, and said he was "appalled."

"After looking at what has been reported in many publications over the last couple of days, I'm appalled and commend the courage of the women who've stepped forward to report sexual abuse or rape," Stone wrote on Facebook.

Representatives for Stone did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

Director Woody Allen

woody allen
woody allen

Getty

Allen initially said he felt "sad" for Weinstein and that he worried women speaking out would start a "witch hunt," according to The BBC.

"The whole Harvey Weinstein thing is very sad for everybody involved," Allen told The BBC. "Tragic for the poor women that were involved, sad for Harvey that [his] life is so messed up."

Despite the nature and volume of the allegations, Allen said that "you also don't want it to lead to a witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself."

"That's not right either," Allen said.

Allen's comments raised eyebrows, considering the director had faced years of criticism over his relationship with Mia Farrow's adoptive daughter Soon-Yi Previn.

Allen's other adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, has alleged he sexually assaulted her in 1992, mentioning it in a 2013 interview with Vanity Fair and in an open letter published in The New York Times in 2014, but her first televised interview was granted to CNN in January 2018.

Allen later clarified his comments and further condemned Weinstein, telling Variety that he meant the producer was a "sad, sick man."

"When I said I felt sad for Harvey Weinstein I thought it was clear the meaning was because he is a sad, sick man," Allen told Variety. "I was surprised it was treated differently. Lest there be any ambiguity, this statement clarifies my intention and feelings."

Representatives for Allen did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

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