Courtney Love Called Out Harvey Weinstein Back in 2005

Another of the many red flags that were ignored.
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Getty Images/Pierre Suu

Following the recent New York Times investigation reporting multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault by Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein over the last three decades, everyone seems to be asking themselves how something like this could have gone on for so long. This weekend TMZ dug up a video of a 2005 red-carpet Comedy Central interview with Courtney Love that clearly shows Love warning about Weinstein—and as it turns out, her short answer was enough to spark some major professional repercussions.

When comedian Natasha Leggero asked Love what advice she had for young women trying to make it in Hollywood, Love hesitates at first, saying, "I'll get libeled if I say it." But after a brief pause, where Love seems to be seriously considering what to say next, she adds, "If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in the Four Seasons, don’t go."

The Weinstein allegations seem to have shocked the world. And yet, looking back, there appear to be many instances in which some people in Hollywood were waving a red flag about the producer's behavior. There were references to his lewd behavior in two episodes of 30 Rock that both aired at least five years ago. At the Oscar nominations press conference in 2013, Seth McFarlane quipped that the five Best Actress nominees "no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein." And, of course, this 1999 interview with Gwyneth Paltrow, in which she calls Weinstein a "coercer," is eerie to watch now that the truth has come to light, especially because Paltrow has since publicly accused the producer of sexual harassment.

Love, for her part, responded to the resurfaced video on Twitter with a statement about how her brief answer affected her career: Apparently she was banned from the Creative Artists Agency, a major talent agency, following her quip.

"Although I wasn't one of his victims, I was eternally banned by CAA for speaking out against Harvey Weinstein," a statement she followed up with "#rape" before linking to TMZ's story.

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