Lisa Bloom, the high-profile attorney known for going after sexual harassers, is now working with an alleged sexual harasser. What’s up with that? Law Newz Editor-in-Chief Rachel Stockman interviewed her Friday to learn why this feminist attorney is on the other side now.
Bloom is working with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein after a bombshell New York Times report that claims that he has a history of sexually harassing women for almost three decades. It’s quite a dramatic turn for her, especially after she played a public role in the downfall of former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly–another man who the Times said settled with sexual harassment accusers.
But in Friday’s interview, she said she actually wanted to take the opportunity to start a meaningful conversation with an alleged harasser. “Well, this was an opportunity to do that,” Bloom said.
Stockman pressed Bloom on this: “A lot of people would say you are being a hypocrite by changing sides. Your reaction?”
“There are many different ways to get to a goal. I litigate cases, I write books, I speak out at conferences, I go to marches, he was an opportunity to actually be in the room of someone accused of this stuff, and change the pattern,” Bloom said.
“I do have a problem with your statement that you sent out yesterday,” Stockman said. (Bloom had described Weinstein as “an old dinosaur learning new ways.”) Stockman pressed the attorney on how differently she’s treating him from other alleged harassers. Bloom argued that what makes Weinstein different is the movie mogul’s willingness to become a better person, and show respect to the women making allegations.
“I’m going to be an old dinosaur by the end of this interview,” Bloom quipped, after claiming Stockman spent too much time on the statement’s phrasing.
Stockman also brought up the docuseries. Months ago, Weinstein brought the rights to one of Bloom’s books for a show. On Friday, Bloom argued she’s not being unscrupulous or out of character here, even saying she turned down most sexual harassment cases because they’re not “winnable.”
So would Bloom work with O’Reilly if he acted like Weinstein, and asked her for advice? “Maybe,” she told Stockman.
Bloom, who insists she is not “representing” Weinstein because she’s not involved in litigation, says the mogul only admits to “rude talk” and inappropriate behavior, but wouldn’t specify which claims against him were false.
Weinstein is also threatening to file a defamation lawsuit against the Times, but Bloom didn’t say much about it, saying that another attorney, Charles Harder, is handling that case. Nonetheless, she said the Times didn’t give Weinstein enough time to respond to the allegations against him.
[Screengrab via LawNewz Network]
