Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced former Hollywood mogul who has been accused of decades of sexual harassment by over 100 women, was attacked on Tuesday night at a Scottsdale, Arizona restaurant, TMZ reports. A video captured by TMZ appears to show a hero man shoving him.
As the story goes, Weinstein was having dinner with his sober coach at Elements at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort. Weinstein has been pictured in Scottsdale several times since October of last year, when he was reportedly attending a rehab clinic for sex addiction in the area. One of two men who were seated at a table next to Weinstein told TMZ that he asked Weinstein for a photo with him, telling him that he loved his movies. The man, named Steve, claims Weinstein refused the photo and became belligerent, asking Steve to go away. The manager of the restaurant has a strikingly different story: She said he was “very sweet about it” and said, “I’d rather not take a picture right now.” The manager claims that after this exchange, the two men shook hands and Steve returned to his table.
But later that night, both parties finished their meal and started leaving the restaurant at the same time. Steve admits that he had “quite a bit to drink” and told his friend to get his phone ready to go for what was about to happen. That’s when Steve walked right up to Weinstein and said, “You’re such a piece of sh*t for what you did to these women,” and then tried to punch him in the face. Steve says he punched Weinstein twice, causing him to stumble and almost fall down. But, again, stories diverge. The restaurant manager says neither of Steve’s attempts connected, and he was just an out of control drunk guy at a restaurant.
There is, however, one thing that both sides agree on: Steve’s friend, who filmed the incident, asked Weinstein if he wanted to call the police. Weinstein reportedly declined.
Weinstein is currently being investigated by the L.A. District Attorney, the LAPD, and the NYPD for charges of rape. The women who bravely spoke out about the abuse they had endured at the hands of Weinstein started a movement currently sweeping Hollywood and workplaces around the country by holding men accountable for how they treat women. The so-called Weinstein Effect has brought down the reputation of many men, including but not limited to Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer, and Russell Simmons. One of the most recent installments of Hollywood’s reckoning with sexual assault was during Sunday’s Golden Globes, when actresses and actors took part in a symbolic protest by wearing black and others plainly spoke out about injustices in the industry and the world at large.
