In an e-mail exchange with one of his former representatives, Harvey Weinstein, the convicted rapist, once suggested that Jennifer Aniston “should be killed,” according to recently unsealed court documents obtained by the New York Times (or NYT) on Tuesday.
The threatening e-mail was reportedly sent in October 2017 after Weinstein, 67, caught wind of a “confided” sexual assault claim made against him by the former Friends star.
In the previously sealed court papers, it was shown that Sallie Hofmeister — a former PR representative of Weinstein’s — had forwarded him an e-mail from the National Enquirer which detailed the U.S. news outlet’s plan to oust the disgraced movie mogul by publishing Aniston’s privately disclosed allegation against him.
“Not sure if you saw this one,” wrote Hofmeister in the recently uncovered e-mail. “Jennifer Aniston,” she added, alerting her client of a potential threat.
The Weinstein Company (TWC), was responsible for the distribution of Derailed, the 2005 dramatic thriller, which co-starred Clive Owen and Aniston, 51. It was one of the TWC’s first releases.
“Through the years he would frequently stare at her cleavage/breasts and move his mouth around making Jennifer uncomfortable,” the e-mail continued.
Weinstein replied to his spokesperson’s e-mail approximately 45 minutes later, writing “Jen Aniston should be killed.”
Though those allegations were never published by the National Enquirer, Weinstein’s brash response came at the height of the resurgence of the #MeToo movement.
For those who may not know, the #MeToo movement first kicked off in 2006 thanks to civil rights activist Tarana Burke. However, it gained new life in October 2017 after several accusations of sexual misconduct were levied against Weinstein — who was convicted of sexual assault last month.
The resurgence, which was inspired by actress Alyssa Milano, resulted in millions of women writing “Me too” or “#MeToo” on social media platforms, insinuating that they too had been sexually assaulted or harassed in the past.
“If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet,” Milano tweeted on Oct. 15, 2017.
The hashtag quickly went viral, launching a media frenzy and ultimately opening the door for any unspoken sexual assault victims to come forward without being judged or harassed.
The e-mails between Weinstein and Hofmeister — which were included in the unsealed documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday morning — were made public before his sentencing, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The result? Weinstein was officially sentenced to 23 years in a New York State prison for rape and sexual assault by Supreme Court Judge James Burke.
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