Harvey Speaks: Harvey Weinstein’s On-Camera Interview

I just wanted to say that I'm not angry, but I'm angry at the system. You know, my situation was transactional. You. know, looking back at it, and I want to.

thank you, Candace, for giving me the. opportunity to speak. I I just want to. say something very clearly. I believe. women should be heard, but I'm. wrongfully convicted. You know what I. mean? And right now, I'm not convicted. I'm on a retrial. I was my an appeal. overturned my conviction. But justice. demands a clear, honest look at each. case. And I am here for fairness and the. truth. You know what I mean? You know, I. made mistakes. There's no question about.

it. I hurt my family. I hurt my friends. I cheated on my wife. And that was a. mistake, you know, a terrible mistake. And I apologize to friends, family, and. all the innocent people who. inadvertently I hurt. And especially to. the Messic family, Jill Messik and her. family. But I did not commit these. crimes. I swear that before God and the. people watching now and on my family. I'm wrongfully accused. But justice has. to know the difference between what is.

immoral and what is illegal. H people would say my complaint is you. know I mean you. know I just okay getting emotional. everyone deserves a fair trial media. doesn't favor me thank but thanks to you. Candace there's a voice out there and. Joe Rogan and uses every opportunity the. mainstream media to discredit me but I.

speak for innocent. people justice has to matter. Evidence. has to matter. I've lost everything. You. know, I mean, I've lost everything a man. can lose, but still the truth matters. I've been condemned of crimes I did not. commit. I understand why people want. someone to blame, but I am telling the. truth. End of statement. Uh, end of. glasses. And uh and they allowed me to wear a.

suit today, you know, as opposed to the. last time I was in my t-shirt and. pajamas. So, they wanted me to wear a. suit. So, here it is. Well, you look. like you're hanging in there. And I got. to tell you, since you've been in there, the media world has changed. Definitely. the I think a world that you had a lot. of power in. You can see the landscape. has changed. And it's a good thing. because podcasters like me can have a. platform to take a look at situations. like yours. And um you know, my audience. is very aware of my opinion on this. case. I've been very clear about that. I.

don't find a reason to lie. I said you. were wrongfully convicted before it got. overturned and I believe you are. wrongfully accused not just in the New. York case but also in the LA case. Um. which my audience is now up to date on. You know, Harvey, I I obviously because. I very much agree with you. I think you. are immoral. Um and what you did was. wrong, but you did not do anything that. came close to what you were accused of. under the law. Um, I just want to just. ask you what is it like to to go from. someone who commanded so much power.

amongst politicians and amongst. celebrities and athletes and overnight. virtually none of those people stood up. for you or said, "Hey, I I don't believe. that this is right.". It's shocking, you know. Um, the friends. that stayed with me were my friends that. I grew up with. The people that I knew. before I was famous, before I had power. The people in my life who were steadfast. all through my life were the ones who.

remain loyal. Everybody was scared. You. know, this looked like, you know, a. witch hunt. Everybody was scared for. themselves. Everybody was scared to be. cancelled. you know, somehow, you know, I wish this would have happened to. somebody else because I had the courage. to have to to to have fought on somebody. else's behalf, but nobody fought on. mine. Do you know Harvey, I I have a. long list of people who came out against.

you, but a very short list of who. actually spoke out for you. One person. in particular, which is quite stunning, a guy by the name of Luciano Garriani, uh, an Italian director. He he wore a. homemade t-shirt in support of you in. 2018 that said that you you were not. guilty. That was the only person that I. could find that vocally supported you um. when all of the heat was coming down on. you in 2018. He's a terrific director and uh um and. that's I'm very much appreciate it. But.

the people who support me are scared to. talk. They are frightened to death. they. are frightened that they're going to be. cancelled, that they're not going to be. able to work. You know, I try to get, you know, my, you know, people to stand. up and even testify in the trial and. um nothing, you know, nothing. And and. jumping into that, by the way, some of. the names, there were people who I think. remained silent for that reason that. you're saying, is they were fearful of. being cancelled. But some people took it.

upon themselves to come out and actually. condemn you and to say awful things. about you. And people, the media was. obsessed with speaking about Gwennneth. Paltro. I don't know if you know this. She went on Howard Stern and basically. made a very strong statement against you. and said that B Brad Pitt had to. effectively rescue her from you and. stand up to you because you made her. feel so uncomfortable. We had one instance in a hotel room. where he tried to where he made a pass.

at me and then I really kind of stood up. to him. I told my boyfriend at the time, Brad Pitt, Brad Pitt, we were at a um. the opening of Hamlet on Broadway that. Rafe Fines was in Hamlet and and Harvey. was there and Brad Pitt, it was like the. equivalent of throwing him against the. wall, you know, energetically. What he. did was he leveraged his fame and power. to protect me at a time when I didn't. have fame or power yet. Right. Wow. It.

moves you. Yeah. It was It was. fantastic. He said, "If you ever make. her feel uncomfortable. again, I'll kill you." Or something like. that. It's a complete. fabrication, you know, about my. relationship with Gwennneth. You know, I'm going to talk about it and just say. that I had a meeting with her. You know, she originally was scheduled to do Woody.

Allen's Everyone Says I Love You. Thank. God I was distributing that movie as. well. And I managed to substitute Drew. Barrymore for Gwennneth so that. Gwennneth could play Emma. And I Woody. Allen did us a real favor by doing that. because we were scheduled to shoot Emma. and I wanted Gwennneth for the role. At. the end of the meeting, we had a glass. of champagne. I as I was walking out the. door, I said to her, "I'd love you to. give me a massage." And she went,

"Yeah." And you know, that was it. I. didn't put my hand on her. I didn't. touch her. I definitely made a pass, I. guess. You know, you could call it that. But that was the sum total of that. situation. She did have Brad call me and. Brad very manly, very cool. Just said, "Don't do that again." And that was. that. We made 11 movies together, classic films, Shakespeare and Love, Talented Mr. Ripley, Sliding Doors, just.

so many great movies and such a great. partnership. And now I heard, you know, that she thought the relationship was. abusive. Anybody who was there who. witnessed that relationship would it. just turned into total friends. I. there's pictures of her hugging me when. I was sick when I had when I was sick. and in the hospital and didn't think I. was going to make it in 1999. Gwennneth. at the Golden Globe said bomber we miss. you. She got up and made a speech about.

me. Nobody asked her to do that. In her. academy speech she thanks me. She's the. daughter of a wealthy TV producer, a. great man, and Ble Danner, a great. actress with Steven Spielberg as her. godfather. She doesn't have to do. She. could have just said, "Harvey asked me. for massage. I'm never working for him. again." Okay. If you consider yourself. to be pro-life, here's a wakeup call for. you. Despite the overturning of Roie. Wade, overall abortions increased nearly.

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Right. And that's one of the things that. I was very compelled when in speaking. with you and obviously you and I have. spoken many times off record. You're. very honest. Every time I ask you a. question about the actress, you tell me. exactly what happened. And it's. interesting because what you're speaking. about was what I always found to be. problematic about the me too movement. from the beginning is we're conflating. He made a pass at me and I didn't like. it, right? or you know, I turned him. down and or maybe I had a bad date with. someone with rape and and this is very.

problematic. And sure, she can say that. I didn't like that he made a pass at me, but to jump on a train when people are. saying I've been raped, I think it's. irresponsible for women to do that. I I. really do think it's irresponsible for. people to be conflating being hit on and. not liking it, which you've admitted to. And I've been raped. No question about it. It's all conflated. and it's all led to the idea that I am. going to be the one they prosecute. I am.

going to be the one they persecute. Look, when the case was overturned, they. could have dropped it, but they didn't. You know, they just went after me one. more time and added somebody to it. But, you know, I can't talk about the case. I. I can just, you know, um talk to you. about the things that you need to talk. to me about, right? I totally understand. that. And I'm not going to push you on. that because one thing one thing one. thing I do want to say is I've asked to. have lie detector tests brought into the.

prison and I already took a lie detector. test on Jessica man and I scored in the. highest level you know that one can do. for honesty about not sexually. assaulting her or raping her you know. and I want to do lie detector tests on. the others. I know they're not. admissible, but I want the world to know. that I did that. And I hope the women. would just take me up on the challenge. and say, "Okay, we'll do it, too." But I. doubt they will, but I will. Yeah. And I.

think that was one of the things that. stunned me is that they didn't report a. lot of this stuff in the press. And when. I looked at this case and I said, "If. you're a journalist and you're just. interested in anything, why would you. leave out these big details?" He passed. a lie detector test. Um, the things that. the court was not allowing to be uh. shown as proof of your innocence in the. courtrooms were something that also. stunned me, particularly involving the. LA case, which I fully expect to. similarly be overturned. Um, it. definitely looked like the Me Too.

movement got so big that they needed to. say sort of hang somebody, you know, somebody's got to die so that we can. move on and think that we've achieved. social justice. And I think that that. somebody was definitely you. Um 100. 100%. You know, they wanted me and they. wanted me in jail forever. Yeah. And I. it's it's quite stunning because I think. now, and maybe you recognize this, the. Me Too movement is on its way out if. it's not officially gone now. And people. are willing to sort of look and examine.

the facts of this case. And I'm. wondering if a lot of these celebrities, I just give you an example here. Seth. Rogan came out when things were. happening between you um happening with. you and he said, "I believe all women. coming forward about Harvey Weinstein's. sexual harassment. It took bravery to do. so." Such a blanket statement to just. say, "I believe all women." That was. kind of what was being said in 2017 and. 2018. Like women have never told a lie, you know. Um I I can you know, Seth, you. know, and I made a movie together called.

Zach and Murie Make a Porno. It was a. Kevin Smith film and it didn't do well. and I think you know sometimes you blame. the producer or the distributor and in. this case they blamed me and uh it was a. good movie and I wish I could have. marketed better but I couldn't find the. handle on it and uh um so I think there. was never there was always animosity. between Seth and myself so given the. opportunity he took a shot at me and you.

know so be But I hear he's doing great. work on this, you know, uh I read about, you know, that he's doing amazing work. on this TV series he has called The. Studio and he's an extremely talented. individual, but you know, I was a. sitting duck. Yeah. And look, a lot of. these people I I think it was step on. his head while he's drowning and it will. help you. And I'm sure their PR agents. were saying, you don't want to get. caught up in this. Make the right. statement or you're going to get burned.

by this. Um, but I like I said, some. people took it, I think, a bit further. You and I had discussed, and I don't. know if you're willing to talk about. this, but you know, Brad Pitt kind of. got involved in a Me Too project after. this, uh, kind of got involved in a Me. Too movement, a movie, so to speak, helping to produce one. And you and him. had a very close relationship. Well, I wouldn't say it was close, but. it certainly was friendly. And I guess. his company produced She Said the uh New. York Times uh writers and uh and they.

produced the movie and I can you know I. you know I just when it came out you. know obviously I was concerned but it. bombed so badly there was no interest in. it. what it grossed 2.5 million. It was. a $30 million movie, something like. that. Or maybe that between advertising. and the cost of the film and the movie. grossed $2.5 million it opening weekend, which is disaster. I think it went on to. gross four or five million. So maybe it. showed there's no interest in me, but.

there certainly was no interest in the. case. And um the New York Times, you. know, um those writers I I have read. something that is so explosive and such. a bombshell that a young writer named. Clark. Patterson, conservative, you know, with. the guts to write an article about what. happened to me at the New York Times, a. detailed pointby-point article showing. the that there was no reporting that.

they were taking dictation. When they said she said, they meant it. She said we wrote it down. We never. checked it. Rose McGawan said, you know, I I donated money to an organization. They never checked, you know, that she. did that, you know, uh uh they never. checked, you know, the these different. things and followed up and did the. research before they wrote the article. Ashley Jud's claims are, you know,

ridiculous. I I stood in a hotel room. with I never touched her, came on to. her, nothing ever, you know, I fought. for her. They said I banned her on a. movie. I fought for her on Goodwill. Hunting and I lost that battle. I. thought she would have been fabulous in. that movie and I think she would have. gotten an Oscar nomination. But, you. know, people could forget all it is is. research. There's an article in the. Washington Post, if you Google Ashley.

Jud and Harvey Weinstein, and said that. Ashley Jud gushed all over me at the. English patient Oscar party. There's a. picture of me holding her hand. And when. she went on TV, she said, "See, he's. pulling me. He's pulling me." I was just. holding her hand, pushing her into the. party, you know, bringing her in. But. you know, but Diane Sawyer and those. people at that time, you believed it.

because everybody believed those people, you know, at that moment, you know, the. New York Times believe no research, no. research whatsoever. I hope this article. blows the whole place up, you know, and. uh and and and that the Pulit surprise. people reconsider. You know, Harvey, I think it's perhaps. more sinister than you even think. because and this is we're similarly. following a case with Blake Lively and.

it is a case of she said the New York. Times I think even worse than that they. wanted to go after this guy. They had. friends at the New York Times. The exact. same woman who won a Pelitzer, one of. the three people who won a Pelitzer for. taking you down, Megan Tui was the one. who wrote this piece about Justin. Baldoni. And I when we got the full. details, gratefully Brian Freriedman, and this would have been my legal. strategy had I have been your lawyer, just dropped every possible detail for. the public to be able to read. It is I.

think personally there should be laws. A. journalist should have to go to prison. I mean, if you're putting people in. prison on the basis of what you write, it just would follow to me that somebody. would have to suffer the consequence of. lying. These are lies by omission and. painting people as, you know, sexual. harassers or worse than that, rapists. because you're maybe doing a solid for. your friend, which is what it's looking. like the New York Times was doing for. Blake Lively and Ryan. Mhm. And perhaps.

bigger people behind them. Have you. considered the angle, uh, Harvey, that. these are big bosses, WME bosses are the. people who want to buy a piece of your. company. Have you made somebody angry? I. think that there might have been. something more behind the takedown of. you because I I can't comprehend it. It. just doesn't make sense to me. Well, I. don't know. I think, you know, um, with. the New York Times, you know, I think. the relationship was always rocky. because I wanted, you know, I mean, the.

New York Times to cover the things that. I wanted and I wanted the New York Times. not to cover some of the things, too. So, it was a back and forth. relationship. And I, you know, on one. level, I had a great relationship, you. know, with the owner, but the owner of. the paper, you know, has a firewall. between him and the editorial. my, you. know, there were editorial back and. forth. I I guess they didn't like me and. they wanted me and I was a good target. for them. How do you think she then won.

a Pelitzer? That's what's stunning to. me. It kind of makes the entire system. fraudulent because to to win a Pelitzer, it has to you such detailed. You looked. at every angle. You've explored every. case. I mean, I barely looked at this. case before I realized something was. very wrong. And I thought you were. guilty, by the way. When we you and I. first got on the phone, I just said I. don't even remember what he was in. prison for, but there were so many. articles that surely somebody did the. due diligence and noticed that he was. guilty or or confirmed that. And it was. I mean an hour reading into these.

transcripts and I went, "What what's. going on here?". Well, this young man, Clark Patterson, has a detailed article coming out which. will detail piece by piece, you know, every name, every story, every. everything that they did and everything. they didn't do as reporters. And it is a. stunning piece and it's I hear it's. going to be published soon. I don't know. where, you know, I mean, but I've just. heard through the grapevine, but uh and.

I read a preliminary article and uh you. know, I'm excited, you know, I mean, to. have that out and I hope the New York. Times restates its case so I can sue. them for defamation. Absolutely. And a. question for you, Harvey. You know, somebody was on the red carpet all the. time, flying to premieres, flying. private, commanding so much respect in. the industry. What is a day in your life. like now?