Harvey Weinstein is one of the most-thanked people during Oscar acceptance speeches. That a powerful Hollywood executive has been accused of sexual harassment has prompted several celebrities to speak out against the alleged abuser.
The New York Times revealed in an exposé how Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax Pictures and The Weinstein Company, committed several counts of sexual harassment, sexual abuse and even rape on several women over the course of decades.
Since then, Weinstein has been fired from his own company.
Although Weinstein has admitted to the sexual abuse cases, he has also threatened to sue The New York Times, with his lawyer Charles Harder saying in a statement that the report was supported by false statements.
Several Hollywood stars have spoken out against the former Hollywood exec, prompted by the sudden information of a downplayed culture of sexual harassment in the industry.
Jennifer Lawrence told Variety that although she worked with Weinstein five years ago, she personally neither experienced any harassment nor heard about the allegations against him. Still, the actress said, "This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting... My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward."
On the other hand, Jessica Chastain said on Twitter that she was "warned from the beginning."
Kate Winslet, meanwhile, praised the women who have shared their stories about the abuses, calling their actions "incredibly brave."
Mindy Kaling of "The Mindy Project" rallied for the men of Hollywood to speak out against Weinstein.
Male celebrities like George Clooney, Christian Slater and Mark Ruffalo have all said their piece against Weinstein.
It was veteran actress Meryl Streep, however, who eloquently summarized all these celebrities' thoughts toward the sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein:
"The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar," she told The Huffington Post. "Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game."
