Just when you believed that Harvey Weinstein had permanently faded into obscurity, the Hollywood mogul resurfaced just in time for Halloween.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the disgraced producer was publicly heckled by three women and several performers while attending an Actor’s Hour event Wednesday night at the Downtime bar in New York City, which eventually culminated in the women being escorted out by staff.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, comedienne Amber Rollo, who was attending the event, claimed that Actor’s Hour invited Harvey Weinstein to what is billed as a “speakeasy for actors.” When comedienne Kelly Bachmann took the stage to perform, she quickly addressed the “Freddy Krueger in the room.”
“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,” said Rollo. “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 f***ing serial rapist monster,” she continued.
Amber Rollo went on to claim that a woman in the audience began to cry as she shouted at Harvey Weinstein, which resulted in her being escorted out.
“At the show’s intermission, a woman started yelling about him being there. She was shouting and crying and seemed to be the only sane person there. SHE was kicked out. What the actual f**k?!” she said. “Let me explain that one more time, an event that was supposed to support actors and artists invited a serial rapist who has ruined at least 87 actors[‘] lives and supported that monster over an actor in the room. They supported HIM over all the actors in the room.”
The woman escorted out of the room has since been identified as Zoe Stuckless, who wrote on Facebook that she decided to confront Weinstein after reflecting upon his alleged victims.
“I thought about all the voices that have been silenced over the years,” said Stuckless. “I thought about the artists, the women, who are paralyzed by the same fear I felt, surrounded by colleagues who were intimidated into a culture of silence and passivity. The room was a microcosm of our whole community. And I couldn’t sit there and let him laugh. So I spoke up.”
“In some ways, tonight was a horrible, painful reminder of the power a man like Weinstein holds even now,” she continued. “It was a reminder that even in this time of relative awareness it is hypnotically easy to be pulled into a culture of silence. However, it is also a reminder that our voices have so much more power when we stand together.”
After significant backlash on social media, a spokesperson for Downtime clarified that staff escorted the woman out for disturbing the peace.
“We want to address some concerns about a recent incident at Downtime,” a spokesperson wrote on Facebook, as reported by THR. “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,” the statement continued. “In keeping with this goal, we made a decision that would allow the evening to continue as planned. Thank you, Downtime.”
A representative for Weinstein subsequently told The Hollywood Reporter that the incident highlights how an individual’s rights can be eroded before any due process or conviction has taken place.
“Harvey Weinstein was out with friends enjoying the music and trying to find some solace in his life that has been turned upside down,” the statement said. “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.”
The statement also claimed that Weinstein was open to talking with the woman and did not ask that she be escorted out.
“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.”
Kelly (@bellykachman) is my hero. Just a general fuck you to the Freddy Krueger in the room. pic.twitter.com/DZFm6fhxc1
— clever, but make it spooky (@ambercrollo) October 24, 2019