The list of high-powered men accused of harassment—and losing jobs over it—is growing
“This too shall pass,” said some, after the New York Times and The New Yorker released their bombshell reports exposing decades of sexual harassment claims and allegations of assault involving Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
“This too shall pass,” said some, after the New York Times and The New Yorker released their bombshell reports exposing decades of sexual harassment claims and allegations of assault involving Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
It ain’t passing.
While most everyone in Hollywood, it seems, knew about Weinstein’s trespasses, no one was expected was the outpouring of stories that followed, as the viral #MeToo campaign emboldened millions to come out as survivors of sexual harassment and assault. In some cases, women and men coming forth with their accounts have identified their alleged perpetrators. And in some cases, the employers of these perpetrators are taking action.
Here’s a tally of the consequences in some of the most high-profile cases to date:
Mark Halperin, former political director at NBC News, MSNBC political analyst
The allegations: Five women accused Halperin of sexually harassing and assaulting them while he was working in a powerful position at ABC News. After CNN broke the story, two more women came forward (via Twitter $TWTR and the Daily Beast) saying Halperin harassed them.
His response: Halperin, while contesting some of the specific allegations, said he felt “profound guilt and responsibility” for his conduct and that he underwent counseling after he left ABC News. “Those who have worked with me in the past decade know that my conduct in subsequent jobs at TIME, Bloomberg, NBC News, and Showtime has not been what it was at ABC.”
Retribution: NBC News suspended Halperin almost immediately after the story broke, and later said it was severing ties with him, including at MSNBC, where he regularly appeared on the political news show Morning Joe. Penguin Press terminated its contract with Halperin for his upcoming book on the 2016 election, and HBO dropped plans for an adaptation of Halperin’s book.
Roy Price, former head of Amazon Studios
Allegations: Isa Hackett, Price’s co-producer of the Amazon $AMZN show Man in the High Castle, accused Price of harassing her. Actress Rose McGowan, one of the most vocal of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers, said she had told Price that Weinstein raped her, and the Price did nothing about it.
Response to allegations: Price has made no public statement in the wake of the allegations.
Retribution:
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Amazon suspended Price on Oct. 12 (the same day Hackett made her accusation public) and he resigned on Oct. 17.
James Toback
, film writer and director
Allegations: In a Los Angeles Timesreport, 38 women accused Toback of sexual harassment. After the report, another 300-plus women came forward with harassment accusations. The accusers included actresses Selma Blair, Rachel McAdams, and Julianne Moore.
Retribution: Beverly Hills police are now investigating Toback, along with Weinstein, and have urged victims to contact authorities.
Kevin Spacey, actor
Allegations: Fellow actor Anthony Rapp publicly accused Spacey of harassing him at a Hollywood party more than 30 years ago, when Rapp was 14 years old and Spacey was 26. Since then, actor Roberto Cavazos and filmmaker Tony Montana have also publicly accused Spacey of making unwanted sexual advances.
Response to allegations: Spacey issued a public pseudo-apology to Rapp in which he also took the opportunity to come out as gay.
Retribution: In the immediate aftermath of Rapp’s accusations, Netflix $NFLX announced it was canceling the critically acclaimed Spacey vehicle House of Cards, although the streaming service said the timing of the series’ end had been determined months earlier. It also suspended production on the sixth and final season, with the producers saying they needed time “to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew.”
Andy Dick, actor and comedian
Allegations: At least four people involved in the production of Raising Buchanan accused Dick of sexual harassment and misconduct on the set.
Response to allegations: Dick denies groping anyone, but admits to The Hollywood Reporter, “I might have kissed somebody on the cheek to say goodbye and then licked them. That’s my thing.”
Retribution: Dick was fired from his role in Raising Buchanan.
Michael Oreskes, former top editor at NPR
Allegations: At least two women accused Oreskes of sexually harassing them almost two decades ago, while he was Washington bureau chief at the New York Times, according to a Washington Postreport.
Lockhart Steele, former editorial director of Vox Media
Allegations: In a post on Medium, former Vox developer Eden Rohatensky said she had to fend off unwanted sexual advances from a superior while in an Uber $UBER, and that little was done after she reported the incident, a month after she was fired. Rohatensky didn’t name the superior, but Vox identified Steele as the person she was referring to.
Response to allegations: Steele admitted to “engaging in conduct that is inconsistent with [Vox’s] core values.”
Leon Wieseltier, former literary editor of The New Republic
Allegations: A number of former New Republic employees accused Wieseltier of sexual harassment and recounted their stories to one another in an email chain, the details of which wound up getting shared with The New York Times.
Response to allegations: Wieseltier told the paper, “I am ashamed to know that I made any of them feel demeaned and disrespected. I assure them I will not waste this reckoning.”
Retribution: Laurene Powell Jobs, whose Emerson Collective was backing a new publication coming together under Wieseltier’s editorial direction,terminated its partnership with him and suspended production of the new journal.
Hamilton Fish V, publisher of The New Republic
Allegations: Fish was accused of interacting with several female employees in ways that created an uncomfortable workplace environment.
Response to allegations: No public statement.
Retribution: Win McCormack, owner of The New Republic, said he requested an “immediate, independent investigation” and asked Fish to take a leave of absence.
Response to allegations: In a public statement Fallon said, “In recent days allegations have been made about MPs’ conduct, including my own… Many of these have been false, but I realize that in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the armed forces, which I have the privilege to represent.”
Allegations: Multiple women have accused Richardson of sexual harassment dating back to at least 2010.
Response to allegations: No public statement.
Retribution: Conde Nast International, Porter (the print magazine of Net-a-Porter), and Hearst have all banned working with Richardson, as have fashion labels Valentino and Bulgari.
John Besh, celebrity chef
Allegations: The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that at least 25 women had accused Besh of sexually harassing them and fostering a culture of sexual misconduct at the restaurant company he co-owned.
Response to allegations:Besh admitted to “thoughtlessly engaging in a consensual relationship with one member of my team,” and said “I alone am entirely responsible for my moral failings.”
Retribution: Besh stepped down from his post at the Besh Restaurant Group.
Knight Landesman, former publisher of ArtForum
Allegations: Nine women accused Landesman of sexual harassment at the start of their careers, in a lawsuit filed in New York.
Response to allegations: Landesman has not responded publicly, but ArtForum‘s top three editors responded, saying Landesman “engaged in unacceptable behavior and caused a hostile work environment.”
Retribution: Landesman resigned from his role as publisher of ArtForum, and now faces harassment charges in New York.
Chris Savino, former Nickelodeon animator and writer
Allegations: At least 12 people accused Savino, creator of Nickelodeon’s show The Loud House, of sexual harassment and assault, according to CartoonBrew.
Response to allegations: In a Facebook $META post, Savino wrote that he is “deeply sorry” and “ashamed.”
Retribution: Nickelodeon fired Savino from the company.
