She Said

Rebecca Corbett informed Kantor and Twohey that they did not have a story that was publishable. It was important that they get sources on the record and obtain substantial written evidence. Kantor therefore contacted Irwin Reiter, an accounting executive who had worked with the Weinstein brothers since 1989. Reiter detested Harvey Weinstein and agreed to meet Kantor, revealing that Weinstein had committed more recent egregious acts than those she was investigating.

As Kantor continued to meet with Reiter, she and Twohey tracked down the references he made to other cases of abuse. Reiter also shared that he had written to Weinstein warning him to stop his behavior, concerned about the damage it might do to the company. Eventually, Kantor interviewed Bob Weinstein, the producer’s brother and business partner. Bob was aware of Weinstein’s transgressions, but he chalked it up to sex addiction and forced him to seek treatment.

Simultaneously, a member of the Weinstein Company’s board of directors named Lance Maerov grew worried about the legal and financial ramifications of Weinstein’s behavior, especially after Reiter and other executives showed him a file documenting some of the abuse. Nevertheless, he showed no concern for the victims, instead focusing on securing the company’s image—something he believed was safe after Weinstein signed a contract in 2015 that included a new code of conduct. During one of Kantor’s many clandestine meetings with Reiter, the accountant leaked a memo that provided evidence of an abusive environment at the company. Lauren O’Conner, a junior executive, had authored the memo, which outlined a long list of Weinstein’s abuses. Maerov and the rest of the board saw the memo but took no action, and O’Conner left the company. It was imperative that the investigation continue to prevent future harassment and assault.

After uncovering the O’Conner memo, the editors at the Times instructed the reporters to begin writing an article that would document Weinstein’s pattern of behavior. This required on-the-record statements from victims as well as substantial written evidence, like financial and legal records. Like others before her, O’Conner had received a settlement that prevented her from speaking, so the reporters turned to Lance Maerov. He relayed that when he had raised the issue of an investigation with lawyer David Boies, Boies had informed him that the O’Conner matter was resolved. Maerov also agreed to let the Times quote him, but he then broke his word to the reporters and told others at the company about this conversation. As a result, Weinstein became frantic to stop the article’s publication.

Kantor and Twohey started drafting their first article while also contacting sources to go on record. Rose McGowan, for example, supplied a copy of her settlement agreement (which did not contain a confidentiality clause), and Ashley Judd also agreed to be quoted. Before publication, the last thing the reporters had to do was present the allegations to Weinstein and his team. On a phone call with Weinstein and several attorneys, the reporters recounted their list of accusations and gave him a timeline to respond. Weinstein began trying to cover his tracks and intimidate victims into remaining silent.