Culture

“It’s Our Job”: Watch A Hero Comedian Call Out Harvey Weinstein To His Face

Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein dropped into an event for young performers, unannounced. Before long, a comedian called him out.

by Joseph Earp  25 October 2019
Harvey Weinstein called out by hero comic

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In 2017, megastar Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused by multiple women of rape, sexual assault and harassment. Weinstein’s fall from grace was immediate. His company was broken up, and he briefly fled the country. He is currently awaiting trial.

This story contains discussion of sexual assault.

But apparently, Weinstein still thinks it’s appropriate to show his face in public — at a charity event for young actors, no less.

The disgraced producer appeared with an entourage at a stand-up comedy event in Manhattan, as BuzzFeed News reports. He was clocked by some of the performers immediately. Before long, one of them, a performer by the name of Kelly Bachman, called out Weinstein by name while onstage, as can be seen in a video posted to Bachman’s Twitter.

“Feeling a little tense,” she says in the clip. “I’m a comic, and it’s our job to call out the elephant in the room. Do we know what that is?”

The crowd murmurs in approval.

“It’s a Freddy Krueger in the room. I didn’t know we had to bring our own mace and rape whistles to Actor’s Hour,” Bachman continues, to the sound of male booing and cries of, “Shut up!”

“Oh, shut up?” Bachman replies. “This kills at group therapy for rape survivors.”

After the set, several more performers confronted Weinstein. There was no security detail posted at the event, but eventually more than one of the performers who approached the Weinstein table were guided out by his entourage.

In the aftermath, the event’s organisers have been criticised for the way they handled the event, and over allegations that they personally invited Weinstein (a claim they have denied.)

Following the backlash, organisers have now issued an apology, saying that the night was mishandled.

Bachman, meanwhile, is being applauded online for her decision to speak truth to power.