Starting in October 2017, the lives of a slew of famous men in Hollywood changed forever when a number of women came forward to reveal stories of sexual assault and harassment suffered at the hands of some of the most powerful men in the industry. It all started when multiple women — A-listers among them — accused legendary producer Harvey Weinstein of bad behavior ranging from bullying to sexual misconduct to rape. Overnight, their bravery snowballed, leading to numerous exposés depicting just how poorly so many others had been treated. Fellow victims started tweeting the hashtag #MeToo to let the women who'd come forward know they weren't alone. More than a year later, Wonderwall.com is looking at 12 of the major players and where they are now, starting with Harvey. On Oct. 5, 2017, The New York Times published a story detailing decades of allegations of sexual misconduct by the super-producer. These accusations included claims that he'd forced women to massage him and watch him naked as well as stories about how Harvey would promised to further the careers of actresses in exchange for sexual favors. He apologized for some of his behavior, got fired from his own business, The Weinstein Company, and was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His wife, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman, also left him.
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Harvey Weinstein has led a difficult life since the accusations against him were first made public. He's faced extensive legal troubles since The New York Times exposé was published, including civil and criminal cases. Think Progress reported that as of late 2018, he'd been sued for rape, sexual harassment, sex trafficking, battery and false imprisonment, civil battery and assault, infliction of emotional distress and defamation, fraudulent business acts and racketeering. One of his most recent cases involves actress Ashley Judd, who brought a sexual harassment suit against him in Los Angeles. Though it was dismissed in January 2019, her claims that Harvey defamed her and "blackballed" her after she refused his advances will still be heard.
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Rose McGowan was one of the first women to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. In the months that followed her October 2017 revelations, the actress detailed the incident in her memoir, "Brave." She said that when she was 23, she met with the producer at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival and later went to his hotel room, where she claims he raped her. "I felt so dirty. I had been so violated and I was sad to the core of my being. I kept thinking about how he'd been sitting behind me in the theater the night before it happened. Which made it — not my responsibility, exactly, but — like I had had a hand in tempting him," she wrote in "Brave." "Which made it even sicker and made me feel dirtier."
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Despite being at the forefront of the #MeToo movement initially, Rose McGowan has gone on to criticize the #Time'sUp movement (a response to #MeToo that led the female "black out" on the red carpet of the 2018 Golden Globes), calling it a "lie" in an October 2018 interview with Britain's Sunday Times Magazine. "It's a Band-Aid lie to make them feel better," she said of the movement's celebrity supporters. "I know these people, I know they're lily-livered, and as long as it looks good on the surface, to them, that's enough."
In late 2017, news emerged revealing that four women had accused Danny Masterson of raping them in the early 2000s. Three of them were a part of his church and reported the incidents to Scientology officials at the time. Though one accuser filed a police report in the early 2000s, Scientology intervened, the Huffington Post reported, by having more than 50 Scientologists submit affidavits denying the woman's account. It wasn't until 2016 that the Los Angeles Police Department began to interview the women who'd accused the actor of rape — allegations Danny vehemently denied.
Netflix fired Danny Masterson from his show, "The Ranch," in December 2017 in the wake of the reports, but since then, the actor's accusers have been dissatisfied with how the streaming network has handled things. In the summer of 2018, Netflix continued to release episodes featuring Danny and crediting him as an executive producer. In December 2018, when his final episode aired, he posted on Instagram supporting the show. "Please support this great show we spent years putting together," he wrote. "The cast is beyond incredible. The writers were given the ultimate worse case scenario and instead of throwing in the towel they worked longer hours to create new heartbreaking and hysterical story lines."
In January 2018, five women accused James Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior. Four of them had been students of his film school, Studio 4, and the fifth called him her mentor. "I feel there was an abuse of power, and there was a culture of exploiting non-celebrity women, and a culture of women being replaceable," accuser Sarah Tither-Kaplan told the Los Angeles Times. James quickly addressed the claims, which he branded "not accurate" during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." But he also refused to take them on. "In my life, I pride myself in taking responsibility for things I've done," he explained. "I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they haven't had a voice for so long. I don't want to shut them down in any way. It's a good thing I support."
Not much has changed for James Franco since his scandal. The writer, producer and actor has a number of projects in the pipeline professionally, and perhaps one romantically as well. He's maintained a serious relationship with model Isabel Pakzad through it all, leading to reports that an engagement may be on the horizon.
In a February 2018 blog post, Melissa Schuman — a former member of the teen girl band Dream — accused Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter of raping her in 2003 when she was 18 and he was 22. She published her account in response to another woman's claims that Nick sexually assaulted her in 2006 (that incident was investigated by police and no charges were brought). Nick denied Melissa's claims. "Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual," he said. "We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally."
In September 2018, Los Angeles prosecutors announced that Nick would not be charged with a crime following Melissa Schuman's claims. "The statute of limitations expired in 2013," the L.A. County District Attorney's Office stated. "Therefore, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence is not warranted and the matter is declined." Nick continued to maintain that he did not assault or rape Melissa. A month before the D.A. weighed in, Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell made it clear Nick had his music group's support. "He's not [worried]," Brian told TMZ. "He has our full support." Brian also told TMZ, "Unfortunately, there are fame seekers that are out there. In this situation, he's been forthright and honest with us, and we have to stand beside our bandmate. That's all we can do." Nick — who, along with BSB, was nominated for his eighth Grammy in 2019 — has since focused on his family, wife Lauren and their toddler son, Odin, and his group's successful Las Vegas residency, which wraps in April 2019.
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal, Kevin Spacey also faced intense scrutiny. The "House of Cards" actor was initially accused of making sexual advances toward then-14-year-old actor Anthony Rapp in 1986. Kevin tweeted that he could not recall the details of the encounter and apologized for his "deeply inappropriate drunken behavior." The Oscar winner was criticized when he also used the moment to publicly come out as a gay man. Netflix quickly suspended production of his popular show as other men came forward claiming they too had been sexually harassed or assaulted by the actor (London's Old Vic Theatre, where he'd served as artistic director for many years, even set up a hotline to field claims). Days later, Netflix officially cut ties with Kevin, though production of "House of Cards" resumed without him, and declined to release his film about the writer Gore Vidal. Director Ridley Scott deleted footage of Kevin from "All the Money in the World" and recast Christopher Plummer in Kevin's role at the 11th hour.
Kevin Spacey has only made more negative headlines since the initial news of his inappropriate sexual behavior broke. In December 2018, he was charged with sexually assaulting a teenager at a Massachusetts bar in 2016. He pled not guilty in January 2019 to indecent assault and battery stemming from the groping incident.
Bill Cosby has been the subject of sexual assault allegations since October 2014, when reports of incidents from as far back as the 1960s began to be unearthed. The comedian maintained his innocence as dozens and dozens of women came forward accusing him of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual misconduct, child sexual abuse and sexual battery. Among those who publicly accused him were supermodel Janice Dickinson, who also brought a defamation lawsuit against the "The Cosby Show" star in 2015 for calling her a liar.
In April 2018 following a mistrial the previous year, Bill Cosby was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault and in September 2018 was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison, plus a $25,000 fine, for his crimes against Andrea Constand in 2004. He was confined to a single cell until late January 2019, when the disgraced 81-year-old comedian was moved into the general prison population. He is required to undergo sex offender treatment while he's incarcerated.
In a September 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, comedian Tig Notaro cut ties with Louis C.K., saying that the comedy star should address rumors of sexual impropriety, allegations he dismissed. However, two months later, The New York Times published allegations from five women, all claiming Louis had sexually harassed them as they shared stories about how he would masturbate in front of them or while on the phone with him. Louis responded in the most unexpected way: "The stories are true," he admitted. The fallout was fast and furious: It was announced that his movie that was about to come out, "I Love You, Daddy," would not be distributed or promoted; FX cut ties with him; HBO dropped an upcoming appearance and removed all of his content; Netflix canceled a planned stand-up special; and TBS declined to move forward with his animated series. He was also replaced in the movie "The Secret Life of Pets."
By August 2018, Louis C.K. was doing stand-up again, and reports revealed he had not tamed his performances at all. He continues to joke about topics like non-binary people, Auschwitz and the 2018 Parkland shooting (which in particular drew condemnation from the shooting survivors). In the fall of 2018, reports indicated he'd started dating French comedian Blanche Gardin.
In November 2018, NBC abruptly fired veteran "Today" co-host Matt Lauer after network brass received a credible complaint of "inappropriate sexual behavior," leaving a shaken Savannah Guthrie to announce the shocking news on the morning broadcast. Other reports about his inappropriate workplace behavior over the decades — as well as his history of marital infidelity — dominated headlines for days. Matt took some responsibility for his actions, issuing an apology statement explaining, "Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly." In the weeks to follow, his marriage crumbled, and a former "Today" production assistant went public with the details of the workplace affair Matt pursued with her in 2000 in which there was a disturbing power imbalance.
Since being fired by NBC, Matt Lauer has maintained a relatively low profile. He retreated to one of his homes in the Hamptons and reportedly has been focused on his three kids with estranged wife Annette Roque since he imploded his career. He did speak out in April 2018, telling the Washington Post, "I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over these past several months … I remained silent in an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of the privacy they have lost. But defending my family now requires me to speak up," he said. "I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father and principal at NBC. However I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false." Throughout 2018, reports claimed that Matt and his wife of two decades, Dutch former model Annette Roque, were hammering out the details of their multi-million-dollar divorce settlement.
In November 2017, Italia actress-director Asia Argento claimed that Harvey Weinstein raped her when she was 21. She quickly became a vocal #MeToo advocate and in May 2018 spoke at the Cannes Film Festival closing ceremony where she referred to the gathering as the producer's "hunting ground," as it was where she said he'd assaulted her.
Shortly after Asia Argento's impassioned Cannes speech, she was accused of being a sexual predator herself. The New York Times reported in August 2018 that Asia struck a deal to pay $380,000 in 2017 to musician-actor Jimmy Bennett after he claimed she sexually assaulted him by having intercourse with him in a Southern California hotel room in 2013 when he was 17 and she was 38 (the legal age of consent in California is 18). Asia confirmed a payment was made to Jimmy, who played her son in 2004's "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things," and said it was her boyfriend at the time — Anthony Bourdain, who committed suicide in June 2018 — who'd encouraged her to do a deal. He then footed the bill, all so that Jimmy would stop harassing them. Asia maintained she didn't sexually assault him but she was still fired from her judging role on "X Factor Italy" amid the scandal. She also publicly got into it with fellow Harvey Weinstein accuser and former close friend Rose McGowan as well as Rose's partner, model Rain Dove, and even pursued legal action over false statements made by Rose (who later apologized) and deceptive tactics employed by Rain to reveal details Asia had confided about the incident with Jimmy. Asia kept a low profile for some time but made her return to the spotlight in January 2019 when she walked in a Paris fashion show.
Rosanna Arquette was one of the first actresses to reveal her experiences with Harvey Weinstein. Speaking to The New Yorker, Rosanna recounted an evening in the early '90s where she met Weinstein in his room at the Beverly Hills Hotel to pick up a script. According to the actress, Harvey greeted her in a robe and implied he wanted a neck massage. When she rejected his advances, he pulled her hand toward his crotch. She told him, "I will never do that," and he told her, she claims, that she was making a huge mistake and other women had their careers advanced as a result of their sexual activities with him. She said her career had suffered as a result of the rejection.
After Rosanna Arquette spoke out against Harvey Weinstein, she experienced backlash from some in Hollywood, but actress-producer Sarah Paulson is working to bring Rosanna back into the fold. Sarah, who's working on Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series "Ratched," helped get Rosanna hired on the series. "The story of Rosanna Arquette is a triumphant one — but it's also disturbing. She was one of the first women to publicly speak out about Harvey Weinstein. I was stirred by several of her recent interviews where she was quoted as saying she couldn't find work — or representation. This seems a direct consequence of her bravery," Sarah wrote on Instagram. "We decided this could not stand. Her body of work — from 'Desperately Seeking Susan' to 'Pulp Fiction' and beyond, has always been deeply inspiring to both of us," Sarah continued. "'Ratched' starts shooting Wednesday and I say with great pride, welcome to our family, Rosanna. I am thrilled to be in a position, due to the empowerment of my friend and collaborator, Ryan Murphy, not to just act in a piece, but hire the talent showcased in it, as well."
John Lasseter, once the chief creative office of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, was placed on a sabbatical in November 2017 after complaints were made regarding his behavior toward female employees, which included rubbing their legs and kissing them on the lips. In an email at the time of his leave of absence — which ultimately turned permanent — he apologized for giving "unwanted hugs."
In January 2019, John Lasseter was made the head of Skydance Animation, which gave him a second chance after the company hired outside counsel to investigate the allegations against him. "While we would never minimize anyone's subjective views on behavior, we are confident after many substantive conversations with John, and as the investigation has affirmed, that his mistakes have been recognized," Skydance Media CEO David Ellison wrote in a letter to staff. "We are certain that John has learned valuable lessons and is ready to prove his capabilities as a leader and a colleague. And he has given his assurance that he will comport himself in a wholly professional manner that is the expectation of every Skydance colleague and partner." But some aren't on board. In February 2019, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that respected Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson exited the Skydance Animation film "Luck," allegedly because of concerns about working with John.