Quentin Tarantino calls Harvey Weinstein ‘pathetic’ in CNN interview

CNN anchor Chris Wallace asked filmmaker Quentin Tarantino about his relationship with disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein asking why he “didn’t do more to stop it”.

Weinstein, the man who became the face of #MeToo allegations five years ago, is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for sex crimes in New York. He has seven counts remaining against him – two counts of rape and five other counts of sexual assault.

In the tell-all interview, Wallace is seen investigating Tarantino about the convicted rapist, asking him why he didn’t do more to protect the women who made the allegations.

The Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill filmmaker said he wished he had a “man-to-man” conversation with Weinstein.

“For the most part, like I’ve always heard Louis B Mayer did, and all Hollywood moguls did to one degree or another,” he said.

“Again, it was easy to compartmentalize it to some degree. I feel bad now.

The Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill filmmaker said he wished he had a ‘man-to-man’ conversation with Weinstein

“But what I feel bad about is that I feel bad that I didn’t have a man-to-man to talk to him about it.”

Tarantino said he never realized the gravity of his actions, but added he didn’t want to get involved in his friends’ “pathetic” behavior.

“The reason I didn’t is because it’s a really hard conversation to have because I thought it was pathetic.

“I felt what he was doing was pathetic and I didn’t want to face his pathetic character.”

If convicted on all counts, Weinstein faces a maximum sentence of 65 years to life in prison.

Tarantino claims he never really understood the seriousness of sexual wrongdoing.

“I had never heard the stories that came out later. I heard the same stories that everyone had heard,” he began to explain.

“What I wish, what I wish I had done, I talked to Harvey about it and said, ‘Harvey, you can’t do this.

Weinstein, the man who became the face of #MeToo allegations five years ago, is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for sex crimes in New York

Tarantino (right) called his ‘friend’ Weinstein (left) ‘pathetic’ and said he did not understand the seriousness of his behavior until the allegations surfaced

Tarantino looked uncomfortable as Wallace wondered what he thought was going on.

“You know, frankly, to tell you the truth, I put it down to some Mad Men-era version of the boss chasing the secretary around the desk,” he said.

Tarantino then clarified that he “didn’t say it was okay.”

“Everything I heard more or less fell into this category. And as a friend, I wish I was more of a friend and it was never about rape or anything like that,” he said.

The couple shot nine movies together until they split in 2017, when Weinstein faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

When asked if he had any regrets, Tarantino said in hindsight that he wished he had done more.

“I thought that was how I described it. I didn’t think it was, ‘Okay, you do this for me or you won’t get this movie,’ and I never heard no actress say anything like that, he said.

‘It was just you know, ‘don’t get in the back of a limo with him’, was it?

“I didn’t know anything that nobody else knew, I’m just the one who’s honest enough to say that look, you know, I had, heard some of these things. But not the things that came out.

Weinstein and Tarantino made nine films together until splitting in 2017 when Weinstein faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

There are now seven counts remaining in Weinstein’s indictment involving four women. The four women testified with Jennifer Siebel Newsom to wrap up her testimony this week

There are now seven counts remaining in Weinstein’s indictment involving four women, which are forced oral copulation, forced rape, penetration with a foreign object involving Jane Doe 1; Sexual assault by restraint involving Jane Doe 2; Sexual assault by restraint involving Jane Doe 3; Forced oral coitus and forced rape involving Jane Doe 4 who was named Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

All four women testified during the week-long trial, with Siebel Newsom concluding his testimony on Tuesday.

This week, a judge dismissed four sexual assault charges against Weinstein after prosecutors said they would not call testimony from an accuser previously identified as Jane Doe 5.

Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench dismissed two counts of forcible rape and two counts of oral copulation against the disgraced 70-year-old movie mogul – related to two alleged incidents, one in November 2009 and the other in November 2010.

The move seemed likely since opening statements in the trial three weeks ago, when prosecutors only mentioned four women Weinstein was accused of assaulting, excluding Jane Doe 5.

Prosecutors initially kept the charges in place and left open the possibility of the woman testifying, while Weinstein’s defense had requested a final ruling on the matter.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office did not provide an explanation as to why they chose to leave the woman out of the trial. She was represented by high-profile victims’ rights attorney Gloria Allred, who also represents Jane Doe 2.

The other seven counts against Weinstein are two counts of rape and five other counts of sexual assault.