Hollywood mogul and Democratic mega donor Harvey Weinstein on Thursday attempted to deflect multiple sexual harassment allegations against him that were revealed in a bombshell report, saying in a new interview that some of the women took his past compliments as him "being sexual."
The New York Times reported Thursday that Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassing at least eight women, including actresses Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, over the span of nearly 30 years. The article rocked the media and political worlds, prompting the Hollywood producer to do an interview with Page Six and say he plans to sue the Times for an estimated $50 million.
Weinstein said that he "bears responsibility" for his actions, but blasted the Times for "reckless reporting," according to Page Six.
Weinstein said, "What I am saying is that I bear responsibility for my actions, but the reason I am suing is because of the Times' inability to be honest with me, and their reckless reporting. They told me lies. They made assumptions."
"The Times had a deal with us that they would tell us about the people they had on the record in the story, so we could respond appropriately, but they didn't live up to the bargain."
"The Times editors were so fearful they were going to be scooped by New York Magazine and they would lose the story, that they went ahead and posted the story filled with reckless reporting, and without checking all they had with me and my team."
Weinstein added that he needs to treat people better, especially his staff, noting that he has the "worst temper known to mankind" and that he "creates too much tension" with people.
"I lose it, and I am emotional, that's why I've got to spend more time with a therapist and go away," he said. "My temper makes people feel intimidated, but I don't even know when I'm doing it. In the past I used to compliment people, and some took it as me being sexual, I won't do that again."
"I admit to a whole way of behavior that is not good," Weinstein continued. "I can't talk specifics, but I put myself in positions that were stupid, I want to respect women and do things better."
While the media mogul admitted wrongdoing, he took issue with much of the Times' reporting.
"They never wrote about the documentary I did with Jay-Z about Rikers Island, they never write that I raised $50 million for amfAR, nor my work with Robin Hood—instead they focus on trying to bring me down," Weinstein added. "This is a vendetta, and the next time I see Dean Baquet [the executive editor of the Times] it will be across a courtroom."
Weinstein has hired Los Angeles attorney Charles J. Harder to go after the Times. Harder said in a statement to Page Six that the Times report contains "mostly hearsay accounts."
"The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein," Harder said. "It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by 9 different eyewitnesses. We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women's organizations."
Harder did not say how much they planned to sue for, but sources told Page Six that Weinstein would target the Times for as much as $50 million.
During his interview, Weinstein did not go into specifics about what was true or false in the Times piece, but he did mention Judd, noting her memoir, All That Is Bitter and Sweet, in which she described being a victim of sexual abuse and depression as a child. Weinstein said her life story was "brutal" and that he would reach out to her a year from now.
Weinstein was also asked about at least eight settlements with women that were reported in the story, prompting him to push back and call them "pure conjecture."
"No company ever talks about settlements, and neither does the recipient, so I don't know how the Times came to this conclusion, but it is pure conjecture, the reporters have made assumptions," he said.
Weinstein has donated nearly $600,000 to Democratic politicians, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, since the early 2000s. Some Democrats who received campaign contributions from Weinstein told the Washington Free Beacon on Thursday that they would donate that money to a nonprofit organization that fights domestic sexual violence.