Candace Owens’ Latest Crusade: Exonerating Harvey Weinstein

by

Candace Owens, known for her conservative commentary and recent support of Justin Baldoni during his legal dispute with Blake Lively over “It Ends with Us”, announced in a live stream on February 27th that her upcoming project involves trying to change public perception regarding Harvey Weinstein prior to his April 15th retrial in New York, where he faces rape charges.

She detailed that she’s been conversing with a convicted producer over the phone since early 2022, conducting recorded interviews following his second conviction in Los Angeles for rape and other sexual offenses. Her main point: Although he’s clearly an unethical individual, she believes he’s also being unfairly treated by the justice system. Owens, a consistent critic of the #MeToo movement, and who saw the Weinstein case as a turning point, expressed that her trust in our court system is starting to waver. Now, she questions whether our courts may have been influenced by politics.

In 2024, the New York State’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, reversed Harvey Weinstein’s previous conviction from four years ago. This was due to unfair decisions made by the trial judge that disadvantaged Weinstein as a defendant. The appeals court pointed out in their decision that some women were allowed to share testimonies about allegations unrelated to the case at hand.

In the same live broadcast, Owens criticized Ari Emanuel, head of Endeavor, for his backing of Blake Lively in a certain matter and kept bringing up details related to Jeffrey Epstein, a deceased child sex offender. Notably, the Anti-Defamation League has labeled her past actions as “harsh antisemitism,” which led to her resignation from Ben Shapiro’s conservative media organization, The Daily Wire, last year. In her live broadcast, she mentioned that during their initial conversation, Weinstein inquired about her views on Kanye West, known for his anti-Semitic remarks, and noted he had supported the ADL financially. “I felt like I was trying out for the cheerleading squad,” recalled Owens, who previously expressed her belief that Brigitte Macron, France’s first lady, is biologically male.

Spokesman for Weinstein, Juda Engelmayer, explains to The Hollywood Reporter: “Since the initial allegations against Mr. Weinstein in 2017, many mainstream and unconventional media outlets have eagerly broadcast criticisms of him. When information that might clear his name arose, it was frequently disregarded. On the other hand, when new accusations were made, they were met with sensationalized headlines.

Engelmayer stated, “Ms. Owens intends to enrich the ongoing conversation by disclosing some details that, up until now, media outlets haven’t deemed necessary to reveal to the public. Meanwhile, Mr. Weinstein desires a thorough and impartial investigation of his cases – one that takes into account his accusers, the dominant narratives, and important facts that have often been neglected amidst the rush to report since this situation started.

The representative for Owen herself has shared a memo emphasizing that the upcoming series, titled “Harvey Speaks“, due to premiere later this week, will not only scrutinize the Pulitzer Prize-winning exposés on Weinstein’s misconduct by Ronan Farrow of The New Yorker and Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of The New York Times, but also investigate “how certain businessmen attempted to exploit the #MeToo movement in an attempt to seize Harvey’s, among others’, businesses.” Despite refusing to discuss the project with THR, Owen hinted on her self-titled show that it will create a significant impact, stating that “it will shatter the world.

Regarding statements made to THR, lawyers for several of Weinstein’s over 80 accusers have suggested that the Owens-Weinstein initiative may not be significant. They emphasized that Weinstein has consistently declined to take the stand and testify under oath in his defense. Gloria Allred stated, “What truly matters now is the evidence that will be presented at his upcoming criminal trial.” She added, “The only evidence that could potentially be ‘explosive’ might come from his testimony if Mr. Weinstein decides to take the stand and face cross-examination by the prosecution. However, given that he has not testified in his last two criminal trials in New York and California, I am skeptical that he will do so this time.

Lawyer Dave Ring defended Jane Doe 1 in the Los Angeles trial (who later revealed herself as Evgeniya Chernyshova after Weinstein’s rape conviction, as profiled by THR). He concurs with Allred: “Weinstein opted not to testify on his own behalf,” he stated. Further, he noted that this move is just another attempt by Weinstein’s public relations team to manipulate public opinion about him and his questionable past.

Louise Godbold, a critic of Weinstein’s behavior who currently leads Echo, a nonprofit focusing on trauma education, expressed her feelings about the Owens project by stating, “I urge people to disregard it. I don’t wish to hear it or respond to it. Candace Owens is not my preferred source of information. When individuals like Weinstein seek attention through less conventional media outlets, it serves as excellent public relations. They understand that such content will be picked up by mainstream publications without the need for extensive fact-checking. We are aware of their tactics. If we can’t ignore it, let’s unmask the strategy. Let’s demonstrate intelligence. This is an age-old tactic, and in this era of misinformation, we must become more discerning and not fall victim to their manipulations.

Rebecca Keegan contributed to this reporting.

Read More

2025-03-04 01:54