What We Can Learn from Two Celebrity Responses to Harvey Weinstein

It must be said that the stories of the despicable behavior of movie producer Harvey Weinstein are shameful, and his actions are abhorrent. 

As a Public Relations professional, I am fascinated by the behavior of the movie and television creative community, especially the statements and responses to the HW stories by famous actors, actresses, producers and directors. Some would say “they should know better,” but as we’ve seen in many instances over the past two years, there are multiple “bubbles” that we can live in, unaware of the world outside the bubble.

Two public responses to the HW stories caught my attention. The multiple Academy Award winning actress, Meryl Streep, loudly and cheerfully told the world via television, upon winning Best Actress for the Weinstein 2012 production “The Iron Lady,” that she wanted to “…thank God, Harvey Weinstein…” She was photographed on multiple occasions with HW in public, at fundraisers, screenings, on the red carpet, smiling and happy to be in HW’s company. But when the first wave of allegations came to light on Thursday, October 5th, courtesy of the New York Times, many actors, actresses and executives were quick to defend HW, but very few were to be found “on camera.” Streep, so vocal and visible over the last year on other issues in the United States, was silent, off-camera, until releasing a written statement via The Huffington Post on Monday, October 9th – after the weekend media feeding frenzy had seemingly passed. Her 165 word statement was notable for her lack of condemnation of the man himself, her excuse that she didn’t know – “not everybody knew” – and her praise for “the intrepid women who raised their voices.”

Compare the response of Streep, the most lauded actress of her generation, to that of director Kevin Smith. Smith, who has written and directed a sizable clutch of funny but sometimes juvenile movies since the indie “Clerks,” had often noted how he owed his career to HW providing the financial backing to produce most of his films, including “Clerks.” In fact, Smith had championed the Ben Affleck/Matt Damon script for “Good Will Hunting,” earning a producer credit on the Miramax/Weinstein film. So Smith knew HW, but he didn’t know about the allegations until he read about them in the New York Times. That same Monday, October 9th, Smith took to Twitter in response to a question from a fan of his work to say, “He financed the first 14 years of my career - and now I know while I was profiting, others were in terrible pain. It makes me feel ashamed.”

As the grim, detailed allegations continued unabated, further assisted by a bombshell article in The New Yorker on Tuesday, October 10th, Hollywood, New York and London public figures and not-so-public figures continued to issue statements, go on camera, and “Tweet.” Other public figures were accused, other incidents were alleged, but Smith, who had made his rather honest statement on the 9th, was quietly working on a more considered response to the situation. 

“My entire career is tied up with the man,” Smith said in the latest episode of his podcast, Hollywood Babble-On. “”It’s been a weird f—ing week. I just wanted to make some f—ing movies, that’s it. That’s why I came, that’s why I made Clerks. And no f—ing movie is worth all this. Like, my entire career, fuck it, take it. It’s wrapped up in something really f–ing horrible.”

When an audience member screamed out that it wasn’t his fault, Smith got emotional, responding, “I’m not looking for sympathy. I know it’s not my fault, but I didn’t f—ing help. Because I sat out there talking about this man like he was a hero, like he was my friend, like he was my father and shit like that, and he changed my f—ing life. And I showed other people, like, ‘You can dream, and you can make stuff, and this man will put it out.’ I was singing praises of somebody that I didn’t f—ing know. I didn’t know the man that they keep talking about in the press. Clearly he exists, but that man never showed himself to me. It all hurts, and it didn’t happen to me, but it all hurts.”

That passionate response to the issue, somewhat profane but definitely honest and heart-felt, was followed by action – the filmmaker vowed to give any future income garnered from his Weinstein-made titles to the non-profit foundation, Women in Film. And with the possibility that The Weinstein Co. could go under and fail to yield any additional residuals, Smith said he will give $2,000 per month to the organization for the rest of his life. “That feels like a start,” he concluded, while also offering his mentorship if they’d want him. “Hopefully that goes to people that get to make sh— without having to deal with some f—ing animal saying, ‘Here’s the price.'”

So what’s the difference between Streep’s carefully crafted written statement, and Smith’s response to the HW situation? 

Smith’s was a passionate response to a terrible situation, coupled with a promise of action. Streep’s was a passive, dispassionate one-off, something her agent or lawyer crafted for her to get on the record and out the door so that she could resume the hard work of filming “Mamma Mia 2” in Croatia. Smith sat in front of his fans and his friends, and shared his feelings and his desire to do something right.

Which public response will have the most impact going forward? I welcome your comments.

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I’m a Public Relations specialist based in Center City Philadelphia. If you are ready to get more exposure and results from your story, I invite you to have a conversation. Whether you are looking to grow your business, attendance at your event or to elevate your preeminence, I am confident our call will offer insights that will help you in your "StorySelling" journey. You can reach me directly at 215-266-5943 or email [email protected].