Hollywood Harassment Roundup: November 27

Weinstein, Branson and Bocanegra

11.27.2017 

 

News

 

 Amelia Hamilton 

 

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We hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, it's time to get back to the real world and, in the real world, the sexual assault allegations just keep on coming. 

Harvey Weinstein

Has Harvey Weinstein ever kept his hands to himself?

Yikes. 

Today, the first civil claim in England and Wales was filed against the Hollywood megaproducer by an anonymous woman who says she was sexually assaulted. Attorney Jill Greenfield says that she expects the case to escalate into group action, The Guardianreports. A spokesperson told The Guardian:

“Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein. Mr Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances.

“Mr Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual.”

Believes? Double yikes.

That wasn't the only lawsuit filed against him today, though. Actress Kadian Noble is suing him for a sexual assault that allegedly took place at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014, saying that he "recruited and enticed" her with the "promise of a film role, knowing that he would use means of force, fraud or coercion to cause her to engage in a sex act.” She is suing Harvey Weinstein, his brother Bob, and The Weinstein Company under federal sex trafficking laws, alleging that Bob and the company had knowledge or should have had knowledge of what Harvey was doing. One wonders if this will lead more women to do the same. 

Two lawsuits in one day, and one of them is sex trafficking? Triple yikes.

Raul Bocanegra

Democrat California Assemblyman and Majority Whip Raul Bocanegra has resigned from office after seven women came forward to accuse him of sexual impropriety, making him the first to leave office in the recent movement of women coming forward. He was disciplined for reaching into a woman's blouse in 2009 and there were other incidents of reported forced kissing and groping as well as repeatedly asking women for dates going through 2014. In a Facebook post today regarding his resignation, Bocanegra did not take responsibility or admit guilt, saying in part:

"I believed in our system of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and that the truth would come out clearing my name and reputation,” he said. “But clearly, the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ has been temporarily lost in a hurricane of political opportunism among the self-righteous in my case...

"Furthermore, it is my hope that in taking this action we can help clear the path so that women and men who have been truly victims of sexual assault and workplace harassment can step forward and get justice for any crimes committed against them. While I am not guilty of any such crimes, I am admittedly not perfect. 

“I sincerely hope that my decision to resign immediately does not embolden those who are using this serious problem in our society to advance their own personal political gain, rather it is my hope that this action can instead help to widen the doors for victims of sexual assault and workplace harassment to find justice and solace.”

He was the first to go in this flood of sexual assault stories, but Bocanegra certainly won't be the last. 

Richard Branson

Singer Antonia Jenae says billionaire Richard Branson put his head in her cleavage at a a party, rubbing his face in her chest and making boat engine noises. In the colloquial, he "motorboated" her. She was on the island with singer Joss Stone when working as her backup singer. “His behaviour was disgusting. I feel like it was sexual assault," Jenaesaid.

He went ‘brrrrrr’ and just walked away. It was surreal, totally out of the blue. Joss and I were like, ‘What the hell was that?!’ Everyone was wondering why I wasn’t angry because I’m usually a firebrand. But I was just too shocked.

She says he also asked her to go topless at a party. A spokesperson for Branson's Virgin Management confirmed that Joss Stone, her fmaily, and the band were on the island and said "Everyone appeared to enjoy their time. Richard has no recollection of this matter. Neither do his family and friends who were with him at the time. There would never have been any intention to offend or make anyone feel uncomfortable. Richard apologises if anyone felt that way.”