Harvey Weinstein's family 'standing by him' amid harassment claims

Harvey Weinstein says his wife and kids are 'standing with' him after a string of sexual harassment allegations were made against him.

The 65-year-old film producer - who is married to designer Georgina Chapman - has had to have some 'really tough conversations with his family after a newspaper published a series of sexual harassment claims against him.

"I have had tough conversations with my family, really tough ones but my family is standing with me," Weinstein, who is behind some of the industry's biggest films including Shakespeare in Love and Chicago, said.

"I have a journey and I have to prove to every person that's out there that I'm worthy of them and I have to prove to my family the same thing.

"This is going to be a journey, a lonely journey, but a journey where my wife and kids couldn't be stronger and couldn't be standing behind me more."

Weinstein - who has children Dashiell, four, and India, seven, with his current wife, as well as Ruth, 14, Emma, 19, and Lily, 22, with his ex-wife Eve Chilton - has admitted he has 'a temper' and blamed himself for acting 'too imperiously' at times.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he added: "There's a difference between maybe what you're thinking [I was] behaving and anything else.

"The behaviour is more about temperament. I have a temper and it's not a good one so I think I act too imperiously.
There's a difference between that any anything else."

However, he has denied an accusation made in the New York Times newspaper that he harassed female employees for nearly 30 years.

The publication has also claimed he has reached at least eight settlements with women, including former assistants and actresses.

Weinstein has said sorry for causing 'pain' to some of his colleagues at times during his career, and admitted he is planning to make amends for his past mistakes.

"I appreciate the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologise for it," he said.

"I cannot be more remorseful about the people I hurt and I plan to do right by all of them."

The producer is taking a leave of absence and 'has brought on therapists... to deal with the issue'.

High-profile Hollywood attorney Lisa Bloom, who has been representing the Good Will Hunting producer, also released a statement, adding that her client 'denies many of the accusations as patently false.'

In the New York Times report, Double Jeopardy actress Ashley Judd, claimed that 20 years ago she was invited to the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel where the producer made unwanted advances towards her including being 'asked if he could give her a massage or she could watch him shower'.

"How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?" the star recounted to the outlet.

The publication also claimed that a former assistant, Emily Nestor, who had only worked for a day at Weinstein's production company back in 2014, was invited once again to the same hotel where she claims Weinstein gave her an offer of boosting her career if she 'accepted his sexual advances'.

Nestor had reportedly also given a recount of the event to her colleagues and executives at Weinstein Company shortly after the incident.

Weinstein Company is also behind movies such as Pulp Fiction, Scream, Gangs of New York, and The Lord of the Rings franchise.

With reporting by Bang Showbiz

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