Ben Affleck is Sickened By Harvey Weinstein Rape Allegations: ‘We Must Support Those Who Come Forward’
Zack Sharf
The Harvey Weinstein scandal has received another bombshell report courtesy of The New Yorker, in which 13 more women go on record accusing the former studio head of sexual harassment. Three women, including actress Asia Argento, claim Weinstein raped them. Shortly after the article’s publication, Ben Affleck posted an official statement to his social media pages, saying the new accusations have made him sick and rallying for everyone in the industry and beyond to support the women who have come forward against Weinstein.
“I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used a position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades,” Affleck said. “The additional allegations of assault that I read this morning made me sick. This is completely unacceptable, and I find myself asking what I can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to others.”
Affleck’s statement ends on a more optimistic note: “We need to do better at protecting our sisters, friends, co-workers and daughters…We must condemn this behavior when we see it and help ensure there are more women in positions of power.”
Affleck’s career got a significant boost after Weinstein fell in love with the script for “Good Will Hunting.” The project originally took shape at Castle Rock but the studio put Affleck and Matt Damon’s script in turnaround and gave them 30 days to find a new buyer. Affleck asked Kevin Smith to bring the script to Weinstein, and the Miramax boss ended up loving the project and even agreed to let Affleck and Damon star in the picture. The two won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay at the 70th Academy Awards.
The actor can next be seen as Bruce Wayne/Batman in “Justice League,” in theaters November 17. Read Affleck’s official statement below.
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) October 10, 2017
