Harvey Weinstein demands credit for ‘Yellowstone’s success in first jailhouse interview: “People forget” that “I brought Taylor Sheridan to ‘Yellowstone'”
Harvey Weinstein claimed the success of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, alleging it was “one of the last things” he accomplished before he was imprisoned for rape and sexual assault.
The disgraced producer spoke out in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter for the very first time from Rikers Prison, where he is currently awaiting trial. After denying that he sexually assaulted any of the women who came forward, Weinstein railed against his brother, Robert Weinstein, for claiming he “destroyed” their film production and distribution company, The Weinstein Company. Harvey used the success of Yellowstone as an example of the many successes he brought to the company.
“I destroyed the company? He destroyed the company,” Harvey fired back. “Look at his movies — one disaster after another. I saved the company! The King’s Speech, The Artist, Silver Linings Playbook. Hit after hit after hit.”
After claiming he also “built” their television company, Harvey added, “People don’t know this, but one of the last things I did was bring Taylor Sheridan to Yellowstone. Sheridan wanted to cast Robert Redford, but I said, ‘You need to get Kevin Costner.’ And it became a massive hit.”
“But then this happened, and people forget,” Harvey concluded.
Harvey acknowledged his scandal “killed” his brother’s career. “He just hopes that by shitting on me he can go back to work. But sadly for him, they will never let him go back to work. He’s stuck there with me,” he said.
When speaking about the crimes he was accused of, the former Hollywood heavyweight apologized to the women who came forward, but largely maintained that he did not sexually assault or rape anybody.
“The thing I was doing wrong was not sexual assault. It was cheating on my wife. I was desperate to keep that secret from her. I did not want Disney to find out. I did everything to protect myself from that kind of scandal,” he said.
While he acknowledged that the #MeToo movement was “good” for women who were “hurt or exploited,” he said he did not like that he was largely considered the “linchpin.”
“I don’t feel good about that at all. When Alyssa Milano said “Me too,” she didn’t mean #MeToo about Harvey. She said “Me too,” and then everybody said #MeToo about me. Every woman I was with, every friend that I had. It was a march to the money pile,” he said.
