A group of women have confronted disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein at a party, with one of the women referring to him as ‘the Freddy Krueger in the room.’
Weinstein, 67, attended an event put on by Actor’s Hour at New York City’s Downtime bar on Wednesday, October 23. It was here the former movie mogul was confronted by a group of at least three women, which included performers Amber Rollo, Kelly Bachman and Zoe Stuckless.
Taking to Twitter after the incident, Rollo spoke of how she called Weinstein a ‘monster’ and told him he should disappear. At this point Rollo was reportedly guided out from the bar by a woman who had been seated at Weinstein’s table.
Rollo tweeted:
As a rape survivor I’m so furious and sad and frustrated […]
I was shocked to see him out, but not because I thought he would have shame, he is a sociopath and clearly has no shame. I’m shocked that he was at an event put on by and for artists.
Rollo proceeded to express her shock that the alleged sex offender had been invited to the event by Actor’s Hour, tweeting:
Not only was he invited, he was supported,
My friend and badass comedian Kelly Bachman was performing on the show and when she went after the “Freddy Krueger” in the room she was booed and told to shut up.
Some people didn’t realize what was going on, some artists knew and were scared and some were outright supporting this fucking serial rapist monster.
Rollo claimed a woman started ‘shouting and crying’ about Weinstein’s presence during the show’s intermission, only to be removed from the venue.
At this point, Rollo claims she approached the table and called Weinstein a ‘f*cking monster’. She says his ‘friend/body guard/goon/family member’ responded by referring to her as a ‘c*nt’.
A spokesperson for Weinstein has since made the following statement, as per The Hollywood Reporter:
Harvey Weinstein was out with friends enjoying the music and trying to find some solace in his life that has been turned upside down. This scene was uncalled for, downright rude and an example of how due process today is being squashed by the public, trying to take it away in the courtroom too.
As an aside — Harvey in fact suggested the woman should be allowed to talk and ask him any questions. The venue’s personnel asked the woman to leave, not Harvey’s. I would just point out that he is being treated as if he has been convicted.
The statement continued:
Accusations are, in fact, not convictions. Due process is still the foundation of each and every one of our civil rights in this country.
Please don’t lose sight of that definitive conviction when you write. Anyone should be allowed to be there if they are acting in accordance with the norms of the space. As for the name calling, it was 100 percent not anyone in HW’s employ and not someone speaking on HW’s behalf.
The Downtime bar has since made the following statement about the incident via Facebook:
We want to address some concerns about a recent incident at Downtime. A company called Actors Hour rented our bar for a private event, with a guest list all their own.
Shortly into the evening, one guest began heckling another, causing a disturbance to everyone in attendance. After several requests to stop were ignored, we kindly asked the heckler to leave.
Please know that our goal at Downtime is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome. We respect the privacy of our patrons and event partners, and want to ensure that all guests are treated equally, with the same service and respect.
In keeping with this goal, we made a decision that would allow the evening to continue as planned. Thank you, Downtime.
Weinstein is currently awaiting trial for predatory sexual assault and a criminal sexual act in the first degree following accusations from over 80 women. He has denied all charges of non-consensual sex acts.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 (12-2:30 and 7-9:30). Alternatively you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111.
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on its website or on its helpline – 0808 800 5005.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.