“At a certain point, you have to think about the greater good of humanity, of womankind,” Lucia Evans, one of the 80 plus Harvey Weinstein accusers, told The New Yorker yesterday. She and one other woman have pressed charges against the movie mogul — charges which led to his arrest Friday morning.
Evans, a marketing consultant and former actress, told the publication back in October 2017 that, in 2014, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in his Manhattan office. The other woman, who has not yet been publicly identified, alleged he raped her at a hotel in 2013.
Weinstein has been arrested on charges of rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct, reported the Associated Press. According to AP, he agreed to post $1 million cash bail, wear an electronic monitor and stay within New York and Connecticut state lines. News about a future trial is still in development, and Weinstein’s attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said the man denies all allegations.
A statement from the NYPD confirmed these charges and went on to say, “The NYPD thanks these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice.”
View the full statement below:
Statement Regarding Arrest of Harvey Weinstein pic.twitter.com/WKO4rX9eaH
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) May 25, 2018
Ever since news broke, a handful of Harvey Weinstein accusers have started responding to his arrest. Some have posted small yet significant praises, while others have issued long, impassioned statements.
Harvey Weinstein accusers respond to his arrest
Rose McGowan
McGowan, a face of the Me Too movement and one of the main activists speaking out against Weinstein, spoke to ABC News this morning. She stated, “we were sentenced to a prison, we were sentenced to years of it before anybody believed us… We had our lives stolen, we had our careers stolen.”
McGowan posted a powerful message to Instagram Thursday night: “I, and so many of Harvey Weinstein’s survivors, had given up hope that our rapist would be held accountable by law. Twenty years ago, I swore that I would right this wrong. Today we are one step closer to justice. We were young women who were assaulted by Weinstein and later terrorized by his vast network of complicity. I stand with my fellow survivors. May his arrest give hope to all victims and survivors everywhere that are telling their truths.”
She also tweeted, “We got you, Harvey Weinstein, we got you.”
Asia Argento
Argento, an Italian actress and director, said Weinstein raped her during the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. She tweeted out a video of Weinstein turning himself in this morning. She wrote, “What took you so long Harvey?”
What took you so long Harvey? pic.twitter.com/MUFB34fWai
— Asia Argento (@AsiaArgento) May 25, 2018
Earlier, she tweeted, “Today Harvey Weinstein will take his first step on his inevitable descent to hell. We, the women, finally have real hope for justice.”
Annabella Sciorra
Sciorra, another name on the list of Harvey Weinstein accusers, told The New Yorker that he had “violently raped” her in the early 1990s and continued to sexually harass her for years. She retweeted Argento’s video of Weinstein turning himself in and responded with, “Can’t wait!”
She also retweeted New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor who wrote, “We’re in the courtroom waiting for Weinstein. For so long he had his own private system— fancy lawyers who paid to silence women, private investigators and spies. Now he answers to the same system as the rest of us.”
Heather Graham
Graham told Variety that, in the early 2000s, Weinstein had forced himself on her and propositioned her to have sex in exchange for a movie role. She tweeted a New York Times article, writing, “It’s about time: Harvey Weinstein turned himself in this morning and is in police custody. Today, instead of focusing on him, I will be celebrating all of the powerful women out there. This is just the beginning.” The actress added the hashtag “The Future Is Female.”
It’s about time: Harvey Weinstein turned himself in this morning and is in police custody. Today, instead of focusing on him, I will be celebrating all of the powerful women out there. This is just the beginning #TheFutureIsFemalehttps://t.co/OexdY6U809
— Heather Graham (@imheathergraham) May 25, 2018
Mira Sorvino
Sorvino, who said Weinstein had sexually harassed her and tried pressuring her to have a physical relationship with him as far back as 1995, also tweeted about his arrest with the hashtag “Justice.”
Jessica Barth
Barth, another one of the Harvey Weinstein accusers, told The New Yorker that he invited her to a business meeting after they met at a Golden Globes party in 2011. He requested that she come to his hotel room, and once there, he demanded a “naked massage.” When she refused, he lashed out.
She tweeted, “A part of justice begins.”
Lauren Sivan
Sivan alleged Weinstein cornered her in a New York restaurant basement in 2007 and masturbated in front of her. She tweeted, “It’s been a long time coming and today my fellow victims and I rejoice and pray no one ever underestimates the power of women when we stand together + scream the truth.”
It’s been a long time coming and today my fellow victims and I rejoice and pray no one ever underestimates the power of women when we stand together + scream the truth #WeSpoke #MeToo #TimesUp #LockHimUp https://t.co/eECuU2YEX1
— Lauren Sivan (@LaurenSivan) May 24, 2018
Lucia Evans
“I know how this has changed my life for the worse. How he took away my self-esteem and personal power,” Evans told The New Yorker of her charges. “And knowing I can take it back, and stop him from doing that to another woman, I couldn’t let that go.”
