Two women were reportedly kicked out of Downtime Bar NYC on Wednesday after confronting disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
A comedian named Kelly Bachman, who was performing at a private event hosted by Actor’s Hour, pointed out that Weinstein was in the room.
“I’m a comic, and it’s our job to name the elephant in the room. Do we know what that is?” Bachman said on stage. “It’s a Freddy Krueger in the room if you will. I didn’t know that we had to bring our own mace and rape whistle to Actor’s Hour.”
READ MORE: Rose McGowan sues Harvey Weinstein over his alleged moves to ‘silence’ her
Bachman’s joke was met with some boos and a man yelling “shut up” in the crowd. Others cheered Bachman on for addressing Weinstein’s presence.
(WARNING: This video and tweet contain explicit language.)
Amber Rollo, another comedian, took to Twitter to describe the night’s events.
Rollo said she was “shocked to see him out” and went into detail about a woman who began yelling at Weinstein during the show’s intermission.
“At the show’s intermission a woman started yelling about him being there. She was shouting and crying and seemed to be the only sane person there. SHE was kicked out. What the actual f—?!” Rollo wrote.
Rollo said she later approached Weinstein and “called him a f—ing monster and told him he should disappear.”
“His friend/body guard/goon/family member called me a c–t and I really really wanted to lunge over the table and strangle him,” Rollo tweeted.
Rollo said she was kicked out of Downtime Bar after she confronted Weinstein.
“I restrained myself, now that I’m sober I no longer throw drinks or fists. There was a woman at the table with him who gently guided me out. I don’t know who she is but I hope she is ok. Please do not support Downtime Bar or Actors Hour, the position they put us in is horrifying,” she wrote.
The woman who says she confronted Weinstein before Rollo wrote about her experience on Facebook.
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In a lengthy post, Zoe Stuckless explained her actions.
“I thought about all of the voices that have been silenced over so many years. I thought about the artists, the women, who were paralyzed by the same fear that I felt, surrounded by colleagues who were intimidated into a culture of silence and passivity. This room was a microcosm of our whole community.”
She shared a video of her confronting Weinstein where she can be seen yelling, “Nobody’s going to say anything? Nobody’s going to say anything? I’ll get out of here that’s fine. I’m happy to leave.”
“I’m going to stand four feet from a f—ing rapist and nobody’s going to say anything?” Stuckless says in the video before she’s escorted out.
READ MORE: Ronan Farrow says NBC was ‘afraid’ of Weinstein story, held journalism ‘at arm’s length’
Downtime Bar NYC released a statement on its Facebook page.
“A company called Actors Hour rented our bar for a private event, with a guest list all their own. Shortly into the evening, one guest began heckling another, causing a disturbance to everyone in attendance. After several requests to stop were ignored, we kindly asked the heckler to leave.
“Please know that our goal at Downtime is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome. We respect the privacy of our patrons and event partners, and want to ensure that all guests are treated equally, with the same service and respect.
“In keeping with this goal, we made a decision that would allow the evening to continue as planned.”
The Actor’s Hour posted a statement to their Facebook page apologizing “for the events that occurred because what happened was the complete opposite of the community I have built this past year.”
The statement says that the Actor’s Hour is “deeply saddened that this was not only triggering for attendees, but that they ultimately felt unsafe-some even outraged-when a safe environment is, at its core, what I set out to create.”
“When the comedian on stage confronted Mr. Weinstein, it was unclear who responded with heckles. When Ms. Stuckless confronted Mr. Weinstein directly, I couldn’t hear what was being said- and wasn’t sure if someone was beginning a performance or monologue,” the statement read. “By the time she was walking out- it was too late.”
“She should not have been encouraged to leave. Then and there, I should have shut down the event or given her the microphone to vocalize her feelings, but I was in total shock and I let my fear and inexperience paralyze my decision making ability,” the statement continued.
“I want to sincerely apologize to any people- male or female- who were re-traumatized, hurt, or felt disrespected this week at Actors Hour.”
A spokesperson for Weinstein told Variety that “this scene was uncalled for, downright rude and an example of how due process today is being squashed by the public, trying to take it away in the courtroom too.”
“As an aside – Harvey in fact suggested the woman should be allowed to talk and ask him any questions. The venue’s personnel asked the woman to leave, not Harvey’s. I would just point out that he being treated as if he has been convicted,” Weinstein’s rep said.
Rollo tweeted about Weinstein’s statement early Friday morning.
“Harvey Weinstein statement called me ‘downright rude.’ You know what’s rude? Rape, GTFOH,” she tweeted.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
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