Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images(NEW YORK) — Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer has claimed the disgraced Hollywood mogul was misquoted in an interview published in the Spectator on Friday in which he appeared to admit having traded movie roles for sex.
Weinsten is quoted in the interview with the Spectator‘s Taki Theodoracopulos, as saying, “I was born poor, ugly, Jewish and had to fight all my life to get somewhere…no girl looked at me until I made it big in Hollywood. Yes, I did offer them acting jobs in exchange for sex, but so did and still does everyone. But I never, ever forced myself on a single woman.”
However, Weinstein’s attorney, Ben Brafman, says in a statement obtained by Variety that he was present for the conversation and denies Weinstein made the remark.
“It was not an interview, but a social meeting between old friends,” claims Brafman. “Harvey and Taki did not discuss the case, nor would I allow him to.”
“We talked about old Hollywood and the contrast to European culture,” Brafman continues. “Mr. Weinstein never said anything about trading movie roles for sexual favors. You have my word that Harvey did not say that.”
The statement includes a comment from Theodoracopulos, in which the columnist admits he “may” have misstated Weinstein’s remark.
“After 41 years as a Spectator columnist without a single retraction, I believe that I may have misrepresented Harvey Weinstein’s conversation with me in New York last month,” says Theodoracopulos. “We were discussing Hollywood and I may have misunderstood certain things about the methods of that place.
Theodoracopulos, who describes himself as a “buddy” and “old friend” of Weinstein, has been a staunch defender of the producer and former Miramax co-founder, while criticizing the #MeToo movement.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges related to the alleged rape of two women and has denied dozens of other charges of sexually misconduct or assault involving others.
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