Hollywood movie maker Harvey Weinstein has been expelled Saturday from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)in response to his alleged sexual advancements on female coworkers.
The 54-member board of governors of the AMPAS held a special emergency meeting Saturday morning and voted to expel Weinstein, the Weinstein Company (TWC)'s co-founder, immediately.
"The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors met today to discuss the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and has voted well in excess of the required two-thirds majority to immediately expel him from the Academy," said AMPAS in a statement after the meeting.
Hollywood was shell-shocked in recent days by a sex scandal exposure on the Hollywood kingmaker.
"We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over," according to the statement.
"What's at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The Board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all Academy members will be expected to exemplify," said AMPAS.
The AMPAS is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion pictures. The Academy's corporate management and general policies are overseen by the board of governors, which includes representatives from each of the craft branches.
The Weinstein Company was founded in 2005 after Harvey and Bob Weinstein left Miramax. It was Harvey Weinstein who led the indie film boom in the 90's and was the creative producing force behind such Award-winning, prestige indies, as "Shakespeare in Love," "Pulp Fiction," "Good Will Hunting," "The King's Speech," "The Artist," "Lee Daniel's The Butler," and the recent "Lion." Harvey Weinstein's effective, award-season combo of celebrity-studded galas, ubiquitous screeners, and bare-knuckle brawling managed to net Miramax a legendary and unparalleled number of Academy Award nominations and wins: 249 Oscar Nominations and 60 wins in just 15 years.
The Weinstein Company's board has fired Harvey Weinstein after reports of sexual harassment complaints against him last Sunday. More and more women have spoken publicly about their experiences with Harvey Weinstein, including some A-list female stars, such as Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cara Delevigne.
