News

Amazon cuts ties with Weinstein Company after assault allegations

by John Bowden - 10/14/17 10:37 AM ET

Amazon Studios has severed ties with The Weinstein Company in the wake of mounting sexual harassment and sexual assault accusations against founder Harvey Weinstein.

As a result of the move announced Friday, a high-profile TV project from director David Russell will no longer be made, The Los Angeles Times reported.

According to a statement by the actors, a planned series from Russell starring Julianne Moore and Robert De Niro has been cancelled, while another series involving the Weinstein Company will continue production without the embattled film company.

“We support Amazon’s decision as in light of recent news and out of respect for all those affected we have decided together that it is best to not move forward with this show,” Moore, De Niro and Russell said in a statement reported by People magazine.

{mosads}

The move to sever ties comes just days after actress Rose McGowan, one of Weinstein’s accusers, wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Twitter, saying she told the head of Amazon Studios that Weinstein had raped her.

“@jeffbezos I told the head of your studio that HW raped me. Over & over I said it. He said it hadn’t been proven. I said I was the proof,” McGowan wrote on Twitter.

“I am calling on you to stop funding rapists, alleged pedos and sexual harassers. I love @amazon but there is rot in Hollywood.”

Weinstein has emphatically denied the accusations of rape against him, and has pledged to seek therapy over the sexual harassment allegations.

“Any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein,” a spokeswoman for Weinstein told CNN.

Amazon initially responded to the tweets on Friday by suspending Roy Price, its most senior entertainment executive, amid renewed reports of harassment involving Price himself.

“Roy Price is on leave of absence effective immediately. We are reviewing our options for the projects we have with The Weinstein Co.,” a company spokesperson said.

Price was accused of sexual harassment by Isa Hackett, one of the executive producers of the Amazon original series “The Man in the High Castle.”

In a memo Friday to employees, senior vice president of business development Jeff Blackburn warned employees that the company wouldn’t tolerate such behavior.

“Amazon does not tolerate harassment or abuse of our employees or our business partners,” he wrote.