Weinstein Slams Gwyneth Paltrow

Harvey Weinstein is again addressing his long-running dispute with Gwyneth Paltrow, saying her decision to speak publicly about an alleged encounter with him was especially upsetting because they had once been friends.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published March 10, the disgraced producer, 73, claimed the incident described by Paltrow was misunderstood. According to Weinstein, the moment took place during a professional meeting when he suggested a massage, which she declined.

Paltrow, now 53, previously said Weinstein invited her to his hotel suite early in her career and made a sexual advance. She later told then-boyfriend Brad Pitt about the incident, and Pitt confronted Weinstein soon afterward.

Weinstein said Pitt warned him not to repeat the behavior, adding that he believed the situation ended there. He also criticized Paltrow for later discussing the experience publicly, including in interviews connected to reporting by The New York Times and radio host Howard Stern.

The allegations against Weinstein became central to the 2017 rise of the #MeToo movement after reporting by journalists including Ronan Farrow detailed accusations from multiple women in the entertainment industry. Among those who spoke publicly were Ashley Judd, Rosanna Arquette and Angelina Jolie.

Weinstein has repeatedly denied committing sexual assault but has acknowledged inappropriate conduct.

“Did I make a pass at some of these women unsuccessfully? Did I overplay my hand? Yes. Was I pushy or overly seductive? Yes to all of that.”

In 2020, Weinstein was convicted in New York of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He was later convicted in California in 2022 and received an additional 16-year sentence.

Four years after the New York verdict, the state’s Court of Appeals overturned those convictions, citing procedural errors, and ordered a retrial. Weinstein remains in prison due to the California conviction, which was unaffected, and he continues to maintain his innocence.