She Said

Starred review from September 16, 2019
The dogged investigative journalism that brought down Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is spotlighted in this gripping memoir. New York Times reporters Kantor (The Obamas) and Twohey recount their months-long probe, which uncovered claims that Weinstein sexually assaulted or harassed many women, from actors Ashley Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow to employees at his company; the Times exposé led to formal rape charges and sparked the #MeToo movement. (Later chapters profile Christine Blasey Ford, the psychologist who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of assault.) The authors deliver the sordid details—the seemingly innocent hotel-room meetings, the sudden demands for naked massages, and worse—but focus on the reporting: stakeouts of sources, document searches, assignations with an informant, fencing matches as they wormed information out of Weinstein’s flunkies, and the bullying they received from Weinstein himself, a larger-than-life figure of bluster, menace, and self-pity. Along the way, they grapple with the apparatus of secrecy protecting Weinstein—the colleagues and lawyers who covered up abuses, the confidential settlements that legally silenced some accusers, and the fear of industry retaliation that kept others from speaking out. The result is a crackerjack journalistic thriller that becomes a revealing study of the culture that enables sexual misconduct.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Harvey Weinstein case as told by the two New York Times journalists who broke the story. When Kantor (The Obamas, 2012) and Twohey published their 2017 article series implicating Weinstein in a 30-year-long sexual misconduct scandal, it garnered worldwide attention, earned the news outlet the Pulitzer Prize, and briskly vaporized the Hollywood film producer's career and reputation. In vivid, cinematic fashion, the authors describe the risky investigation from its first probing telephone calls and emails to the challenges of obtaining recorded interviews. Despite episodes of self-doubt, an avalanche of testimonials from victimized women started pouring in. Kantor and Twohey focus on the details of how they doggedly procured sources, chased leads, and obtained enough concrete evidence to blow the case open. As the attestations began to accumulate, so did the trouble, including calculated interference and intimidation from a supposed Weinstein-hired Israeli intelligence organization, which attempted to sabotage the entire endeavor. The authors also examine the nature of wealth and power and how the corruption of privilege infected Weinstein, Miramax, and his expansive web of malefactors, which included employees, publicists, and the corporate machines aligned alongside him who overlooked his reprehensive behavior and supervised his confidential settlements to the women he abused. The authors chronicle the early testimonies from Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd as well as an initially reluctant Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of raping her and labeled his notorious behavior "an open secret in Hollywood/Media." The journalists' work helped ignite the burgeoning #MeToo movement and inspired a massive cultural sea change, but they also acknowledge the grueling work ahead, as evidenced in the book's concluding chapters featuring Christine Blasey Ford, who shares her personal insights on the steamrolled Supreme Court appointment of Brett Kavanaugh. Both admirable and suspenseful, the narrative is a fitting testament to the power of persistence and dedication in exposing critical crimes. Keenly executed, exemplary spadework dedicated to justice for all women caught in the crosshairs of privileged power.

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November 8, 2019

New York Times journalists Kantor and Twohey recount their Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting of sexual assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in this focused account of their investigative process, including contacting sources, convincing them to tell their stories, and scouring public records for evidence of payoffs and corroboration. This approach could easily delve too much into minutiae, but Kantor and Twohey's explanations are cohesive, concise, and fascinating. Weinstein's efforts to silence the story are particularly nerve wracking, but the authors show well how the allegations gave momentum to the Me Too movement and empowered more victims of sexual assault to come forward with their stories of abuse. As a counterpoint to the successful ousting of Weinstein from his company, Kantor and Twohey include a report of Christine Blasey Ford's testimony against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Sources are brought together at the end of the book to reflect on their experiences, as are varied reactions of the public to their allegations. VERDICT A compelling accounting of the events that helped ignite Me Too. Highly recommended for readers interested in social justice and the reporting process.--Rebekah Kati, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

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