Goldenvoice’s Paul Tollett Recalls Intimidating Encounter With Harvey Weinstein: ‘I Remember Being Stunned As It Was Happening’
Responding to criticism of a lack of vocal condemnation from older "connected industry peeps," Goldenvoice founder Paul Tollett shared a story about an encounter with Harvey Weinstein that validates…
The swift downfall of Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein, following damning revelations of a decades-long pattern of sexual abuse and intimidation, has so far been a decidedly Hollywood story, but the now-ousted movie mogul didn’t operate much differently when encountering people from other industries.
Responding to criticism by actress Rose McGowan of a lack of vocal condemnation from older “connected industry peeps,” Goldenvoice president/CEO Paul Tollett shared a story about an encounter with Weinstein that, while pale in comparison to sexual abuse allegations, at least validates his reputation as a bully, or “just how you would imagine the worst movie industry person would be.”
In his response to McGowan, Tollett begins by trying to explain why the music business has been slow to condemn Weinstein, pointing to the disastrous week it had been having with the Route 91 festival massacre, and then the death of Tom Petty. He then tells the story of when Weinstein — or “hurricane Harvey” as he calls him — stormed in at one of his festivals and demanded passes. When the producer objected to the level of access he’d been granted — he apparently wanted to wander inside artist trailers — Tollett said he couldn’t help him. Weinstein didn’t like being told no and, according to Tollett, “warned me that he could call who he thought was my boss… or maybe he would call who he thought was the most powerful manager in the business.”
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Read his full comments below:
Hey Rose, most of the people in the music business have had an emotional week with the Las Vegas shootings and Tom Petty news, the heaviness can be felt all around. Let’s hope that’s why people haven’t commented. I don’t know the movie business people at all, once in a while i sit next to them at sporting events but often don’t recognize them but here is something related. about a year and a half ago hurricane Harvey blew into one of my festivals looking for passes, i helped out but the passes weren’t good enough, i had given him the pass type i wear which doesn’t get you in the actual artist trailer so i explained an artist’s compound is not under my domain. He warned me that he could call who he thought was my boss (he had done some research) or maybe he would call who he thought was the most powerful manager in the business (there were photos online of them together so i believed they were close). That’s probably the way he has solved things before. It was just how you would imagine the worst movie industry person would be, zero humility, completely demanding with an air of intimidation. Yea there was the customary follow up thank you from the assistant and i made the best of it so as not to have an enemy in the movie business for what ever reason but i remember being stunned as it was happening thinking why am i not fighting this but there is an aura/physicality about him that needs checked. I know nothing about any other rumors other than what i’m reading, woah.
Read McGowan’s original Facebook post:
And Tollett’s reply: