What did Harvey Weinstein tell Candace Owens? Russell Brand claims the industry "ran on exploitation for decades" in light of recent interview

On the May 26 episode of his podcast, Stay Free With Russell Brand, which aired on Rumble, Brand shared insights on Harvey Weinstein’s recent interview with far-right commentator Candace Owens.

For the unversed, former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence, stands retrial in New York for multiple charges of s*xual misconduct from three women, as reported by Vanity Fair on May 23.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, on May 21, Candace Owens was joined by Weinstein in his first on-camera interview in eight years. His interview was concurrent with Jessica Mann's testimony, one of the three women who accused him of r*pe in 2013.

During the interview, Weinstein seemingly read from a written statement and repeatedly denied the charges against him. He began by thanking Owens for giving him a platform to speak and expressed his frustration towards the "system."

"I believe women should be heard, but I'm wrongfully convicted, and right now I'm not convicted, I'm on a retrial. My appeal overturned my conviction, but justice demands a clear, honest look at each case, and I am here for fairness and the truth," Harvey said.

Harvey further expressed that he has "hurt" many feelings, including his family's and many other "innocent people," but denied all the allegations against him, adding:

"I did not commit these crimes, I swear that before God and the people watching now, and on my family. I'm wrongfully accused, but justice has to know the difference between what is immoral and what is illegal."

Reflecting on Harvey's claims, Russell Brand highlighted in his caption:

"Harvey Weinstein is in prison—but was he the disease or just a symptom? Hollywood ran on exploitation for decades."

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Russell Brand's comments on Harvey Weinstein explored

During his podcast, British actor and comedian Russell Brand further labeled Harvey Weinstein as the "epitome of exploitation in Hollywood". He added that the problem of the "casting couch" was widespread in Hollywood, and claimed that exploitation of women in the industry was built into the "system."

Brand further claimed that the world is going through a reckoning and questioned who is truly guilty in the high-profile case of Harvey Weinstein.

"Harvey Weinstein, or was all of Hollywood participating in systems of exploitation? What do we mean by Hollywood Babylon? What do we mean by, what the hell's going on in the Diddy trial? Where's that gonna lead us to?"

"Systems of exploitation that seem to indicate that there's a degree of scapegoating going on, even in situations where people have been morally extraordinarily remiss and pretty lapsed," Brand added.

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More about Harvey Weinstein's comments during his interview with Candace Owens

During his interview with Candace Owens, Harvey Weinstein further claimed that he has been charged with crimes he did not commit, adding:

"Justice has to matter, evidence has to matter. I've lost everything a man can lose, but still, the truth matters. I've been condemned of crimes I did not commit. I understand why people want someone to blame, but I am telling the truth."

Owens further informed Harvey about the changing media landscape since he was imprisoned in 2020, emphasizing "podcasters like me can have a platform to take a look at situations like yours."

Candace Owens clarified that her audience is aware of her opinion on Harvey's case and claimed that he is "wrongfully convicted." Weinstein also expressed frustration towards his close friends who turned their backs on him after the allegations gained attention.

"Everybody was scared, this looked like a witch hunt. Everybody was scared for themselves, everybody was scared to be cancelled. I wish this would have happened to somebody else because I had the courage to fought on somebody else's behalf, but nobody fought on mine."

Weinstein further called the allegations put forward by actress Gwyneth Paltrow a "complete fabrication." Gwyneth Paltrow accused Weinstein of s*xual harassment during the filming of Emma (1996).

"It's a complete fabrication about my relationship with Gwyneth. I didn't put my hand on her, I didn't touch her. I definitely made a pass," Weinstein said.

As reported by The New York Times on October 10, 2017, Paltrow alleged that Weinstein tried to make a "pass" at her during their meeting at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel.

During his interview, Weinstein also mentioned the 2022 film She Said, which was based on the New York Times investigation that exposed his alleged s*xual abuse, highlighting the lack of public interest in the case.

"When it came out, obviously, I was concerned, but it bombed so badly. The movie grossed $2.5 million on its opening weekend, which is a disaster. I think it went on to gross $4 or $5 million. So maybe it showed there’s no interest in me but there certainly was no interest in the case."

Harvey continued to maintain his innocence by claiming that he had taken a lie detector test regarding Jessica Mann, where he claimed to score "the highest level that one can do for honesty about not s*xually assaulting her or r*ping her."

"I want to do lie detector tests on the others. I know they're not admissible, but I want the world to know that I did that, and I hope the women would just take me up on the challenge and say, 'Okay, we'll do it too,'" Weinstein said.

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The full conversation between Harvey Weninetin and Candace Owens is available on Owens' subscription platform.