Two incredibly powerful men, many horrendous crimes.
The downfalls of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and financier Jeffrey Epstein are linked in
some shocking ways.
Both Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein were part of a group of investors looking
to purchase New York Magazine in 2003.
Among the others in the group were billionaire Nelson Peltz, businessman Donny Deutsch, and
U.S. News & World Report owner Mortimer Zuckerman, The New York Times noted.
Ultimately, the group bid $44 million for the publication, but was outbid by investment
banker Bruce Wasserstein.
Why get into the media business?
The New York Times explained that the group was motivated by "ego, power, and cachet."
While Weinstein had plenty of Hollywood influence at the time, Business Insider reported that
Epstein "tried to establish himself as a media mogul."
The outlet noted that after the failed New York Magazine bid, he and Zuckerman invested
$25 million into Radar Magazine.
The outlet was ultimately sold to American Media Inc. in 2008, after it stopped publishing
in print.
It's never been stated, but one could guess the two were looking to have some control
over their stories.
The media disintegration of figures like Prince Andrew — who settled a sexual abuse lawsuit
with Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim whom Andrew was accused of raping — shows what
such charges can do to the carefully crafted public images of influential people.
"You don't go into these places, you don't go and stay with people, looking for…for
that."
In 2006, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein attended a royal party thrown by Prince Andrew.
The New York Post acquired a photo from the event in which they are pictured together
with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, who is currently behind bars for her role
in his alleged sex trafficking.
The outlet notes that the photo was taken while an arrest warrant for Epstein was out
in Florida, charging unlawful sex with a minor.
Refinery29 notes that he pleaded guilty to solicitation of a sex worker and made a deal
with Miami's top prosecutor to get just three months in a low-security prison.
The final charges never mentioned the victim's age.
Weinstein himself engaged in criminal sexual conduct that same year.
According to the BBC, Mimi Haley, a former production worker, accused him of forcing
her to perform oral sex on him in 2006.
She testified against Weinstein in his trial in New York, in which Weinstein was found
guilty of one count of a first-degree criminal sexual act against Haley, as well as one count
of third-degree rape against Jessica Mann.
A Daily Beast report alleges that Jeffrey Epstein introduced young women to Harvey Weinstein.
According to the outlet, Epstein recruited Chauntae Davies into his alleged sex trafficking
ring in 2001 when she was 21 years old.
Years later, he introduced her to Weinstein.
The movie mogul reportedly got her a small role in the 2005 horror film "Feast."
"More than anything, I just felt stupid.
Yeah, I felt duped."
As for Epstein, the Daily Beast claims that he used his connection to Weinstein to impress
young women.
It's unclear how long this apparently mutually beneficial relationship went on, but the outlet
says that one of Epstein's first victims, Maria Farmer, says that she heard Ghislaine
Maxwell — who she said raped her along with Epstein — speaking of a film executive named
"Harvey."
When Farmer pressed Maxwell, she allegedly confirmed that she was speaking of Harvey
Weinstein.
Farmer also said Maxwell bragged about knowing Weinstein's brother, Bob.
New York publicist R. Couri Hay told The Daily Beast,
"From my point of view, I can tell you that Ghislaine and Epstein viewed Hollywood and
the movies as a way into power society.
[...] It wouldn't surprise me if Weinstein and Epstein felt a kinship through their immoral
character traits and that they had some immediate symbiotic relationship because of their evil
ways."
Both Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein were friends with former talk show host Charlie
Rose, who was accused of sexually harassing eight women between the late 1990s to as recently
as the 2010s, according to The Washington Post.
According to the Daily Beast, Epstein phoned Rose in 2005 and 2006 with the intention of
meeting to share the phone numbers of women the talk show host was eyeing to employ.
When Rose's written call logs surfaced in 2019 in New York Magazine, none other than
Epstein's name was present, along with notes from their reported meetings to discuss potential
female employees.
One entry describes the "world's most perfect assistant" who used to work for none other
than Harvey Weinstein.
Epstein allegedly recommended five women and provided their phone numbers.
According to New York Magazine, Rose hired three, though one of his representatives said
he was unaware of the accused sex trafficker's abuse until he pleaded guilty to soliciting
a sex worker in 2006.
The Associated Press noted that police had been investigating trafficking claims against
Epstein since 2005, however.
One woman who was recommended by Epstein and ended up working for Rose said,
"I was being offered up for abuse."
In his book "Relentless Pursuit," Bradley Edwards, one of the lawyers who helped put
Jeffrey Epstein behind bars, described a disturbing story about Weinstein and Epstein's reported
sexual abuse.
Edwards pointed to a conversation with Jean-Luc Brunel, an Epstein associate accused of helping
him run his underage sex trafficking ring.
Brunel described an alleged scene where Weinstein was receiving a massage from one of Epstein's
"girls."
Edwards writes,
"He attempted to aggressively convert the massage into something sexual.
The girl rejected his advances.
As the story goes, Harvey then verbally abused her for rejecting him.
Little did Harvey know, this was one of Epstein's favorite girls at the time, and Jeffrey viewed
the aggressive mistreatment as disrespectful to him."
Epstein allegedly kicked Weinstein out of the house, "delivering the message that he
was never to come back."
That was apparently the end of their relationship.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).