Prior to his termination from the the film company bearing his family name, Harvey Weinstein requested private support from Hollywood “power players” against moves to oust him from the Weinstein Company.
Weinstein described himself as “desperate” in his request for support via email:
My board is thinking of firing me. All I’m asking, is let me take a leave of absence and get into heavy therapy and counseling. Whether it be in a facility or somewhere else, allow me to resurrect myself with a second chance. A lot of the allegation are false as you know but given therapy and counseling as other people have done, I think I’d be able to get there.
I could really use your support of just your honesty if you can’t support me.
But if you can, I need you to send a letter to my private gmail address. The letter would only go to the board and no one else. We believe what the board is trying to do is not only wrong but might be illegal and would destroy the company. If you could write this letter backing me, getting me the help and time away I need, and also stating your opposition to the board firing me, it would help me a lot. I am desperate for your help. Just give me the time to have therapy. Do not let me be fired. If the industry supports me, that is all I need.
With all due respect, I need the letter today.
The Weinstein Company’s board terminated Weinstein on Sunday. It further plans to remove “Weinstein” from its company name
Among those from whom Weinstein solicited support are Jeffrey Katzenberg (former chair of Walt Disney Studios and former CEO of DreamWorks Animation), Ron Meyer (currently vIce chairman of NBCUniversal), and David Zaslav (former NBCUniversal executive and currently president and CEO of Discovery Communications).
Katzenberg’s newest operation, WndrCo, recently invested $20 million into neo-Marxist news media outlet The Young Turks. The Hollywood Reporter described Katzenberg as one of the Democrat Party’s top fundraisers.
H/T Janice Min at The Hollywood Reporter.
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