'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini once threatened to 'beat the f**k out of' Harvey Weinstein, co-star recalls
'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini was once very upset with Harvey Weinstein, so much so that he wanted to beat him. 'Sopranos' actors Steve Schirripa and Michael Imperioli were guests on the 'Joe Rogan Experience' earlier this week. They recalled their times with Gandolfini while on the HBO series, and Schirripa explained why Gandolfini avoided the talk-show circuit for his projects. "He believed it was not interesting," the Hollywood Reporter reveals.
Gandolfini, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 51, had been seen in numerous films, including one called 'Killing Them Softly' which starred Brad Pitt that was being distributed by The Weinstein Co. While hanging out with the 'Sopranos' gang in his trailer one day, Schirripa recalled that Weinstein had been pestering Gandolfini to make an appearance on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' to help promote the film.
Schirripa said, "He said, 'Harvey Weinstein keeps calling, he wants me to do Letterman and I said 'no'. And he got f**king nasty with Jim. And Jim said, 'I will beat the f**k out of Harvey Weinstein! He f**king calls me again, I will beat the f**k out of him! For the money he paid me, I'm not f**king doing it!' Swear to God. And this is before all the Harvey Weinstein sh*t when he was still king sh*t."
We had earlier reported that the disgraced film mogul who had been convicted earlier this year for rape and assault was sentenced to 23 years for sexually assaulting former 'Project Runway' production assistant Miriam Haleyi and raping former actress Jessica Mann.
Weinstein was found guilty on two counts - "rape in the third degree and criminal sexual act in the first degree." Many dozens of women had come forth with allegations against Weinstein including the likes Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Rose McGowan.
The allegations range from sexual harassment to rape.
Weinstein had also contracted coronavirus while in a New York prison back in March, as the virus began to spread viciously throughout the globe. The news of Weinstein testing positive was first reported by the Niagara Gazette, which stated that Weinstein was one of two inmates at the Wende Correctional Facility who tested positive.
The Weinstein reports also led to a tidal wave of accusations against influential and high-profile men in politics, in the media, and in the show business, shedding light on the huge problem of sexual harassment and assault. Many women took to social media to share their stories of abuse and harassment using the #MeToo hashtag.
In light of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) agreed to limit auditions in private hotel rooms and spaces. The union's president, Gabrielle Carteris said that their goal was to try and eliminate the potential for "predators to exploit performers behind closed doors under the guise of a professional meeting." She also added that the new guideline is a "partial realization of our work toward industry culture change."
As reported by Variety, Carteris shared, "To truly change the culture, we must be courageous and willing. At its most basic, this Code will ultimately help better define what harassment is, and what members' rights are in real-world situations. We are going further, however, with the launch of our Four Pillars of Change initiative to achieve safe workplaces and advance equity."
"This initiative gives members a clear understanding of their workplace rights and provides reliable guidance for members to navigate the unique environments of the entertainment, music and media industries," Carteris added.