We pull no punches when it comes to Gwyneth Paltrow and the many, many weird GOOPy things she does. But when it comes to serious matters like Harvey Weinstein and MeToo, we have nothing but respect for the big part she played in the movement.
She’s spoken a bit about her past experiences with sexual harassment at the hands of Weinstein and played a huge part in encouraging other victims to come forward with their own stories, all of which resulted in the MeToo movement happening.
But despite having successfully made her way out of Harvey Weinstein’s influence after her Oscar win for Shakespeare In Love, Gwyneth Paltrow will forever be linked to the disgraced movie mogul in some form and it’s clear that this weighs on her.
Speaking to Andrew Ross at the New York Times’ Dealbook conference (via CNN), she says that her feelings about Harvey Weinstein, particularly during the MeToo era, are complication and she ultimately isn’t sure how she feels about him.
“He was a very, very important figure in my life. He was my main boss. He gave me incredible opportunity and yet during that time we had a very, very fraught complicated relationship. Highs and lows.
“And the postscript to that chapter of my life is where it gets extremely complicated for me, because information came to light about who he was and how he was behaving that I didn’t know during my already very difficult time with him. So I’m not sure. I’m not sure how I feel.”
This may initially sound like some fence sitting from Gwyneth but she is more than in her right to feel conflicted about Harvey Weinstein.
People need to remember she’s also a victim and it’s not uncommon for victims to feel this way. When you combine this with the fact that Weinstein played such a big part in her successful career, it’s hard not to empathise with her and the complicated feelings she has regarding her situation.
This isn’t Gwyneth Paltrow trying to defend Weinstein or trying to avoid answering the question, it’s her working through something very difficult and that’s perfectly okay.
When asked how disgraced men like Weinstein, who goes on trial beginning January 6, 2020, could somehow repent themselves, Gwyneth thinks that a potential pathway will involve these men losing power:
“There’s a spectrum, but it does seem to me, for the more egregious offenders, that really loss of power is what keeps them from further offending. So if they don’t have the power, then they lose that dynamic and then the game’s over.”
Gwyneth did all the right things regarding the Harvey Weinstein/MeToo saga. If she seems unsure and conflicted about the whole thing, she’s well within her right to feel that way.