Actor Colin Firth is the latest celebrity to condemn embattled movie producer Harvey Weinstein, saying in a statement to the Guardian that he “was a powerful and frightening man to stand up to” and that he supported the women accusing the movie mogul of sexual harassment.
“It’s with a feeling of nausea that I read what was going on while I was benefiting from Harvey Weinstein’s support. He was a powerful and frightening man to stand up to. It must have been terrifying for these women to step up and call him out. And horrifying to be subjected to that kind of harassment. I applaud their courage,” he said in a statement sent on Tuesday.
“By coming forward they’ve provided a jolting wake up throughout our industry. I hope it’s going to be a help to others, both in our own industry and elsewhere.”
Firth is the latest Hollywood figure to criticize the powerful film producer less than a week after the New York Times published an investigation alleging unwanted physical contact and harassment spanning several decades. Weinstein and his lawyers have said he denies many of the allegations and has threatened to sue the newspaper.
The scandal deepened on Tuesday when three women accused Weinstein of rape in an article in the New Yorker, accusations he “unequivocally denied” through a spokeswoman.
Several women have continued to come forward with new allegations in recent days, including model Zoë Brock and actor Romola Garai in interviews with the Guardian. Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and other high-profile actors also alleged they were harassed by Weinstein in a second New York Times piece published on Tuesday.
Some have urged men in Hollywood to speak out in support of his accusers, condemning actors and directors with close ties to Weinstein for remaining silent while many women have released forceful statements about the allegations. Patricia Arquette, Amber Tamblyn, Olivia Munn, Lena Dunham, Brie Larson, Constance Wu, Rosie O’Donnell, America Ferrera, Jessica Chastain and other women tweeted about Weinstein soon after the first investigative piece was published last week.
On Monday, the Guardian contacted more than 20 male actors and directors who have worked with the movie mogul over the years, some of whom have projects with Weinstein. All initially declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries.
Since then, George Clooney, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Affleck and others have responded with statements supporting the alleged victims. Director Paul Feig urged other men to speak out in a recent interview with the Guardian.
Weinstein was an executive producer of The King’s Speech, a film starring Firth that was nominated for 12 Oscars and won best picture. The British actor also won best actor for his role as King George VI in the film directed by Tom Hooper.
A representative said Firth was on set and unavailable for an interview.
If you have stories to share about Weinstein or sexual misconduct in Hollywood, contact sam.levin@theguardian.com
- This story was updated on 12 October to clarify that Harvey Weinstein was an executive producer of The King’s Speech
