Oscars board expels Harvey Weinstein as Hollyoaks actress Lysette Anthony alleges producer raped her in London home
Harvey Weinstein has been expelled by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in an unprecedented condemnation of decades of sexual harassment.
Weinstein, 65, stands accused of at least four rapes, which he has denied. But he has admitted to improper behaviour, and over 30 women have now come forward to accuse him of sexual harassment.
Last night Hollyoaks actress Lysette Anthony, 54, joined the growing list of accusers.
She told the Sunday Times she had reported Weinstein to the Met Police for allegedly raping her at her London home in the 1980s, describing the incident as "pathetic and revolting".
The 54-member board of governors, which includes such Hollywood luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg and Kathleen Kennedy, voted on Saturday to dismiss him from their organisation.
Following the meeting, the Academy issued a statement saying the board had voted "to immediately expel him from the Academy."
They said: "We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over.
"What's at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all Academy member will be expected to exemplify."
No one has ever been expelled from the Academy for personal misconduct before.
Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski and Mel Gibson are all still members of the organisation.
The lone known example of the Academy expelling someone was Godfather: Part II actor Carmine Caridi, who was dismissed after he loaned his Oscar "screeners" (previews for industry insiders to see before release) to a neighbour, who turned out to be a movie pirate.
In the latest reported assault by Weinstein, Anthony told The Sunday Times she met the producer when she starred in 1982 sci-fi film Krull and the alleged assault occurred a few years later.
She said she met him for a drink at his rented home in Chelsea. “The next thing I knew he was half undressed and he grabbed me,” she said.
“It was the last thing I expected and I fled. That was when the predatory stalking began.”
Anthony said that one day he arrived at her flat at about 10am.
“He pushed me inside and rammed me up against the coat rack," she said. "He was trying to kiss me and shove inside me.”
She said she pushed him away but he was too heavy: “Finally I just gave up.”
On Wednesday, Anthony tweeted that she had just reported a historical crime, adding "feel sick... so sad".
The Metropolitan Police said it was passed an allegation of sexual assault by Merseyside Police the same day.
Weinstein's younger brother Bob - with whom he founded The Weinstein Company in 2005 - described him as "sick and depraved" and said he showed no remorse.
"I'll tell you what I did know: Harvey was a bully, Harvey was arrogant, he treated people like (crap) all the time," Bob said.
"I'm mortified and disgusted by my brother's actions. And I am sick for the victims. And I feel for them.
"I want him to get the justice he deserves."
Others had also demanded Weinstein be ousted from the Academy.
Terry Press Marx, president of CBS Films, said she would resign from the Academy if it did not expel Weinstein.
“The idea that anyone would give him a second chance or entertain that notion that he can change is beyond absurd,” she said.
On Tuesday, the National Organization for Women publicly called for Weinstein’s removal, stating: “A sexual predator doesn’t deserve the privilege of an academy membership — and all the opportunities to wield outsize power that come with it.”
But there remained some resistance to setting such a precedent. The Academy has up until now always insisted that private conduct was irrelevant when it came to the professional body's views.
“There are all sorts of people who’ve done all sorts of things in the Academy,” one Academy governor told Vanity Fair on Tuesday.
“Did we throw out Roman Polanski? Did the TV Academy throw out Bill Cosby? I’ve never heard of this happening with anyone. That’s not the way business is done.”
The academy’s move follows the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ decision earlier this week to suspend Weinstein’s membership. The Producers Guild of America is set to hold a meeting on Monday morning to decide whether to take similar action.
