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Who Is Harvey Weinstein?
Harvey Weinstein is a former movie producer who, along with his brother, was a co-chairman and co-founder of Miramax Films from 1979 to 2005 and Weinstein Company from 2005 to 2017. He was a notable personality in the entertainment business but his career was greatly affected by many allegations involving assault and sexual harassment.
Personal Details
Celebrity Name: Harvey Weinstein
Full Name: Harvey Weinstein CBE
Gender: Male
Birth Date: March 19, 1952
Birth Place: Flushing, New York, US
Age: 68
Height: 1.83m
Weight: 92 kilos
Nationality: American
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Status: Divorced
Wife: Eve Chilton Weinstine, married 1987-2004; Georgina Chapman, married 2007-2017
Children: Ruth Weinstein, Dashiell Weinstein, India Pearl Weinstein, Emma Weinstein, Lily Weinstein
Profession: Former American movie producer
Net Worth: $300 million
Early Life
Harvey Weinstein was born on March 19, 1952, in Flushing, New York. His parents were Max and Miriam and he has one younger brother, Bob Weinstein. Both he and Bob grew up in Electchester, a housing co-op located in New York City. He finished his high school at John Browne High School and graduated college at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Most of his time in the 1970s, Harvey, together with his brother and Corky Burger, produced rock concerts independently through their Harvey and Corky Productions. They work with notable artists in the industry, including The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, and Jackson Browne.
Jonathan Dandes, a longtime friend of Harvey, describe him as someone consumed and aggressive when it comes to business.
After producing rock concerts, the Weinstein brothers turned their interests into films. As a result, they founded the Miramax Film Corporation, which they got the name after their parents’ names. They then started purchasing the rights of movies and distributing them.
Personal Life
Weinstein was married first to his assistant, Eve Chilton in 1987. The two got divorced in 2004. Together, they have three daughters, Remy, Emma, and Ruth. After three years, he tied the knot with Georgina Chapman, an English actress, and fashion designer. They have two children, India Pearl and Dashiell. Following the sexual allegations against Harvey in October 2017, Georgina declared that she was leaving Harvey. Both got a divorce the following year.
Career
Before the serious allegations against Harvey, he had a flourishing career. Here is the timeline:
1970’s – The Birth of Miramax
Using the profits they earned from producing concerts, Harvey and Bob established Miramax. The first few releases of their company focused on music-oriented films, like the Paul McCartney’s Rockshow.
1980’s – The Rise of Miramax Through Independent Films
In the 1980s, Miramax was able to get the rights of British films that were made for Amnesty International, a human rights organization. While Working with the films’ producer, Martin Lewis, the brothers revised the two films and merged them into one to make it attractive for the US market. The end result was The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, which was released in May 1982. It became the first successful project of Miramax.
Miramax increased its visibility in the movie industry after releasing the documentary, The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris.
In 1989, Miramax became the most successful independent production studio in the US after releasing Sex, Lies, and Videotape by Steven Soderbergh.
1990-2004 – Continuing Success Through the Ownership Deal of Disney
Miramax continued to release successful movie hits and in 1993, Disney offered the Weinstein brothers to buy the ownership deal of their company worth $80 million. The Weinsteins agreed to the deal with the condition that they will still hold the top positions of Miramax. In 1994, Miramax released its first movie hit, Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino.
2005-2017 – The Weinstein Company
On September 30, 2005, Harvey and Bob left Miramax to establish The Weinstein Company, their own production company. Some of the award-winning movies the company has released include Grindhouse, The Great Debaters, The Reader, Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained, The King’s Speech, The Artist, The Imitation Game, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona among others.
Michael Moore took legal actions against the company in February 2011 with claims that it owes him $2.7 million for his documentary film, Fahrenheit 9/11, which was released in 2004. However, he dropped the lawsuit in February 2012.
Following the series of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the company filed for bankruptcy. In 2018, Lantern Entertainment then purchased all the company’s assets.
Sexual Harassment and Assault Allegations
In October 2017, numerous reports from different women accused Harvey of raping, harassing, and assaulting them. Even women from the entertainment industry claimed similar allegations against the businessman. Due to these events, Harvey was discharged from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, dropped from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and fired from his company.
On May 2018, the businessman was then charged by N.Y. Police with “rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse, and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women.” On that same day, he surrendered to the police and got arrested.
After a five-day deliberation, he was convicted on February 2020 for two out of five charges – rape in the third degree and sexual assault in the first degree.
Latest update: While staying in the Wende Correctional Facility, Harvey tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020. He confirmed that he did not suffer any symptoms and was put into isolation until he fully recovered in April 2020.
Harvey Weinstein Awards and Achievements
Pulp Fiction received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1995 but lost to Forrest Gump. In 1997, Miramax won an Academy Award for Best Picture for the movie hit, The English Patient. The company also received multiple Academy Awards and other notable awards for the movies Good Will Hunting and Shakespeare in Love.
Harvey Weinstein Total Net Worth 2020
To date, the total net worth of Harvey Weinstein is believed to be $300 million. He got most of his fortune from the success of Miramax and The Weinstein Company.
