Kevin Smith Will No Longer Profit From Weinstein Movies, Vows to Donate Residuals to Women in Film
Zack Sharf
Kevin Smith and Harvey Weinstein‘s careers have been linked since the mid-1990s, when Miramax launched the young director’s career by purchasing “Clerks” at Sundance. Kevin Smith owes Weinstein his career, which has made the latter’s sexual harassment scandal all the more personal for Smith. The director explained on his “Hollywood Babble-On” podcast that in light of recent events he will no longer be accepting residuals from the films he made under Weinstein, which includes “Clerks II,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Jersey Girl,” and “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.”
“My entire career is tied up with the man,” Smith said. “It’s been a weird fucking week. I just wanted to make some fucking movies, that’s it. That’s why I came, that’s why I made ‘Clerks.’ And no fucking movie is worth all this. Like, my entire career, fuck it, take it. It’s wrapped up in something really fucking horrible.”
Smith has vowed to donate any future residuals he’ll make off the movies he made at Miramax to the non-profit organization Women in Film, which advocates for gender parity in the industry. The director also said that should he no longer receive residuals if The Weinstein Company closes its doors then he’ll donate $2,000 a month to the organization for the rest of his life.
“That feels like a start,” Smith said. “Hopefully that goes to people that get to make shit without having to deal with some fucking animal saying, ‘Here’s the price.'”
Smith records the “Hollywood Babble-On” podcast in front of a live audience. When an audience member shouted out that Weinstein’s actions weren’t his fault, he replied that he isn’t “looking for sympathy” but is merely trying to come to terms with how to live with his success now that he knows it was started by an alleged sexual abuser.
“I know it’s not my fault, but I didn’t fucking help,” Smith said. “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 fucking life…I was singing praises of somebody that I didn’t fucing 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.”
Smith first reacted to the Weinstein scandal publicly in an October 9 post on Twitter, in which he said he “felt ashamed” over the fact that he was profiting while others were in pain. Visit Smith’s “Hollywood Babble-On” podcast for more on his Weinstein thoughts.
