Catch and Kill

Ronan Farrow is an investigative journalist and the son of actress Mia Farrow and director Woody Allen. He spent much of his life dealing with tabloid attention after his father was accused of sexual assault by one of Farrow’s sisters and then married his adopted sister, Soon-Yi. One day in 2016, Farrow receives a call from his plain-speaking producer Rich McHugh to say that the NBC news network does not want his upcoming story about sexual assault to be aired.

The news schedule is currently dominated by a video from a 2005 episode of Access Hollywood in which Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump is heard making lewd remarks about women. Access Hollywood airs on NBC, and the network is criticized for having potentially “sat on” the tape by preventing its release. Excuses from the network executives are confused and hollow.

Stories about sexual result dominated news cycles in the run up to 2016. Comedian Bill Cosby, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, and Donald Trump are all accused of sexually assaulting women. More and more women speak out about their treatment at the hands of powerful men. 

Harvey Weinstein is one of the most powerful movie executives in the world. He is tall with a lopsided face, a squint, and a history of sexually abusive behavior. He started the production company Miramax with his brother Bob Weinstein and rose to power in the 1990s with a string of highly successful movies. He is famous for being a bully and for his threatening style of doing business. Nevertheless, in 2016 his career does not seem to be under any threat. He is regularly photographed at celebrity events and is a part of Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s advisory team.

Actress Rose McGowan accuses a powerful movie producer of raping and then silencing her. The open secret in Hollywood is that her accusations refer to Weinstein. Through his lawyers, Weinstein hires an Israeli company named The Black Cube Group to attempt to kill the story. Run by former Israeli intelligence operatives, the Black Cube Group works to suppress accusations against Weinstein. Their discussions exclude his name and only refer to him by cryptic codenames.

Reporter Ben Wallace is investigating the allegations against Weinstein. Wallace receives a phone call from a mystery woman who invites him to a meeting. She wants to tell him about her horrific experiences but first needs to know that she can trust him. 

Dylan Howard is the editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer. In November 2016, he issues an order to “get everything out of the safe” (20), by which he means various documents that are to be shredded. The unknown documents may have contained exclusive stories bought by Howard and suppressed as political favors to friends. The archives of the National Enquirer and its parent company contain many suppressed stories about Donald Trump. Any damning documents are stored in secure locations as fears about possible legal consequences rise. Nevertheless, certain files appear to be missing. Howard insists that nothing has been destroyed. The National Enquirer and its parent company American Media Inc. have spent many years operating “at the edge of what’s legally permissible” (20), writes Farrow. Stories are illicitly sourced from medical records, moles, and blackmail agreements.

The CEO of American Media Inc. is David Pecker. He has known Trump for decades and considers him a personal friend. Former colleagues believe that Pecker killed many stories which might have embarrassed Trump. The alliance between Pecker and Trump intensifies when the latter runs for President. In 2016, the National Enquirer regularly lauds Trump and attacks his opponent Hillary Clinton. The Enquirer regularly contacts Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen. The newspaper publishes conspiracy theories about Trump’s rivals, praises Trump incessantly, and purchases the exclusive rights to potentially damaging stories with no intention to ever release them to the public. The arrangement is similar to the one struck with Harvey Weinstein. Howard excitedly contacts Weinstein with information that can discredit McGowan. 

Farrow meets with NBC anchor Matt Lauer in December 2016. Lauer’s office is filled with awards. He compliments Farrow’s recent work on a leaking nuclear plant but seems perturbed when Farrow mentions a segment on sexual harassment in Hollywood. They chat about Farrow’s future and his upcoming stint on Lauer’s show. Farrow leaves, and Lauer closes the door using a button on his desk.

Farrow attends a meeting about upcoming investigative reports and mentions the possible Hollywood sexual harassment story again. Leading the meeting is Noah Oppenheim who is back in the news business after an unproductive stretch in Hollywood. Although Oppenheim greenlit early forays into the story, Farrow encounters difficulty in pursuing accusations about sexual misconduct, pedophilia, close ties to dictators, and racial discrimination. Oppenheim’s initial enthusiasm seems to have dimmed. Nevertheless, he recommends that Farrow talk to Rose McGowan. 

In 2017, Harvey Weinstein meets with operatives from Black Cube and agrees to continue paying them. Farrow’s Hollywood investigations take shape, but the sexual harassment element is difficult to pursue. Although Weinstein’s name is mentioned often, survivors are unwilling to talk. Farrow calls Rose McGowan whom he met before while working at the State Department in 2010. McGowan’s career began with a quick burst of successful films, but later job offers were limited in number and quality. She answers the phone in 2017 and goes into unflinching detail about her accusations against Weinstein. She may consider talking to Farrow on the record because she read a piece he wrote about the allegations against his father Woody Allen.

Other journalists also investigate McGowan’s story. She talks to British journalist Seth Freedman and gradually opens up about her experiences. Freedman mentions that many other people with important stories are bound by a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) which legally limits what they can say. McGowan claims to have a signed document in her possession that will authenticate her claims, which she hopes to release in an upcoming book. She admits to being worried for herself and her career if she publicly names her abuser. 

As Farrow works on the story, Matt Lauer continues to treat any mention of sexual harassment in a strange manner. Farrow meets often with NBC’s legal team in February 2017 as they scrutinize every aspect of the Hollywood harassment stories.

Dennis Rice is the former president of marketing at Weinstein’s company Miramax. Farrow interviews him on the condition of anonymity. Rice mentions that funds were reserved in case any bullying, physical abuse, or sexual harassment needed to be covered up. Rice witnessed such behavior firsthand. He regrets that he never mentioned Weinstein’s behavior to anyone and suggests that Farrow contact the actress Rosanna Arquette. Rice admits that no one spoke out against Weinstein’s behavior.

Farrow makes a long list of women who are rumored to have complained about Weinstein. While many of them want to talk and refer to Weinstein as a predator, they are legally required to remain anonymous. The accounts they give mirror the information from Rice. Farrow alerts Oppenheim that the “story is evolving into a pretty serious reporting job” (34). The more people he interviews, the more the stories are confirmed. Few people are willing to defend Weinstein while others are guarded about what they say. Weinstein’s behavior is an open secret but no reporting ever seems to gain traction. One reporter who investigated the subject believes he was surveilled.

The following week, Igor Ostrovskiy sits in a New York hotel lobby. He follows two men while capturing footage on his cell phone. He tries to listen to the men’s conversations but struggles to comprehend their thick accents. 

Noah Oppenheim is promoted to president of NBC news. Farrow finds out and congratulates Oppenheim before calling his sister Dylan. He tells her that he is about to interview a high-profile actress who is going to accuse a high-profile person of a serious crime. Given Dylan’s personal experience with this, Farrow wants her advice. Dylan says that the wait for the story to be released is the worst part, but “it gets a lot easier” (37) afterward.

The actress in question is McGowan. Farrow travels to Los Angeles and the interview takes place in her home. McGowan appears more tired and tense than she was the last time they met. She shaved her head and turned away from film toward music. McGowan’s tumultuous life included being raised in an Italian cult, homelessness as a teenager, and being assaulted as a young actress by Harvey Weinstein.

McGowan describes the assault to the camera. She met Weinstein in a hotel suite. He praised her work and, just as she was about to leave, he assaulted her. McGowan tells Farrow that the attack was “a rape” (38), but one lawyer told her that her story would not be believed because she filmed a sex scene for a movie. She decided not to press charges and reached a financial settlement with Weinstein instead. At the time, $100,000 seemed like a lot of money. Now she views the entire Hollywood system as complicit. She believes that the incident led to her being blacklisted from other films. Weinstein’s face was everywhere in the industry, and she could not escape her experience. She has to stand next to him on red carpets which makes her vomit. Throughout the interview, she avoids mentioning Weinstein by name. Farrow asks her bluntly where Weinstein raped her, and she admits that she has a difficult time saying his name. 

Farrow updates Noah Oppenheim on the story and tells him that the interview with Rose McGowan is shocking. Discussions with the NBC legal team reveal difficulties which may arise in the future. The story is due to run in the week before the Oscars, but this may not be possible. Farrow is frustrated but trusts the network’s lawyers.

Weinstein has a fearsome reputation in Hollywood for his morally dubious professional tactics. A fellow journalist tells Farrow about an actress named Annabella Sciorra and warns him to be careful. He also tells Farrow to buy a gun.

Stories about Weinstein continue to emerge, though not always on the record. Farrow contacts possible survivors including Sciorra. The only legal allegation against Weinstein was made by a model named Ambra Battilana Gutierrez who told the police that he groped her. The press initially reported on Weinstein as a suspect but then all of the news reports were suddenly focused on the defendant. Her reputation is damaged by endless reports of supposedly sexual behavior. She denied everything but the media was desperate to frame her as a voracious sexual predator. The charges faded away and so did Gutierrez. Farrow contacts her and they agree to meet. His background research on the matter suggests that the police may evidence pertaining to the assault buried away. 

Farrow meets with Gutierrez who is nervous but determined to tell her story. In 2015, she was invited by her modeling agency to a party for a show produced by Harvey Weinstein. He spent most of the evening staring at her. Afterwards, he emailed Gutierrez’s agency to set up a business meeting with her. She arrived at his office the next day and sat on his couch. Weinstein immediately began to touch her inappropriately. Gutierrez grew up in an abusive household, and Weinstein’s behavior recalled her childhood trauma. She left and went straight to her agent’s home and then to the police. Weinstein called to invite her to a show and she arranged with the police to wear a recording device while in attendance. She wanted to stop his behavior even though everyone told her that doing so may cost Gutierrez her career. Weinstein seemed flattering and charming the next night when she met him with undercover police officers nearby. Then he insisted that they return to his hotel room. She tried to escape the situation but he insisted. Gutierrez begged and pleaded to be allowed to leave, but Weinstein refused. In the heat of the moment, Weinstein confessed to groping her the previous day. When he finally allowed her to leave, the police approached him immediately.

Weinstein was not charged with any crime. Gutierrez tells Farrow that the police had the proof they needed, but then the tabloids began to paint her as a prostitute and a scam artist. Two weeks later, the district attorney announced that they would not press charges against Weinstein. Rumors spread that Weinstein has an undue influence over the district attorney’s office. Others allege that former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani is part of Weinstein’s legal team, which donated to the district attorney’s election campaign. Farrow recognizes one of the lawyers as a man his father hired to discredit Dylan’s accusations against him. Gutierrez slumped into a deep depression and eventually signed a complicated legal agreement to bring a halt to the public excoriation of her life. She tells Farrow that after signing the agreement she felt “completely destroyed” (47). 

Gutierrez presents Farrow with the nondisclosure agreement signed by both herself and Harvey Weinstein. The agreement compelled Gutierrez to hand over her phone, her email accounts, and any recordings of Harvey Weinstein. There is also a pre-written statement by Gutierrez that denied any wrongdoing by Weinstein which would be released in the event that she breached the agreement.

Farrow reports back to his superiors about his developing story. Legal complications threaten to slow everything down, and certain members of the team seem reluctant to pursue the story. Farrow talks to his boyfriend Jonathan on the phone but is interrupted by a series of anonymous social media messages which read, “I’m watching you” (49). Jonathan recommends he report the threats, but Farrow is dismissive.

In his second meeting with Gutierrez, Farrow helps her recover the audio recording from an old computer. The recordings corroborate Gutierrez’s story and Farrow believes that he has “a smoking gun” (50). He wants to make the recordings public but leaves the final decision with her. She agrees but asks for more time. 

Farrow meets with a personal friend who is a former assistant to his old boss. The old boss has been asking about Farrow, who wonders whether the inquiry is anything more than friendly. He learns that Weinstein has been trying to discover whether anybody picked up Rose McGowan’s story. Weinstein claims to have sources within NBC who feed him information. Worried about his investigation, he turns to Dylan for advice. She puts him in touch with Lisa Bloom, an attorney who specializes in high profile sexual abuse cases.

Bloom is happy to talk to Farrow. He asks her legal questions about his investigation and in particular about the nondisclosure agreements. Many of these agreements hold up in court and have the potential to financially ruin anyone who breaks them. In certain circumstances, however, the prosecuting party may decide not to enforce the agreement. Farrow reluctantly reveals that the target of his investigation is Weinstein.

Weinstein’s determined effort to track down any potential story leads him to people at NBC. He mentions Farrow by name while talking to studio head Andy Lack but receives no information. Weinstein insists that any indiscretion took place in the 1990s when “we all did that.” Lack agrees to look into the matter. 

Later that week Farrow provides an update to his boss about the meeting with Gutierrez. Rich McHugh wants to press forward with the interview but the head of NBC’s investigative unit Rich Greenberg is reluctant. Weinstein phones Greenberg during the meeting, and Greenberg reveals that Weinstein pressed him for information about the story. High-powered lawyers were mentioned, but Greenberg refused to discuss specifics about the case with Weinstein.

Farrow’s investigation begins to sputter. Gutierrez is still deliberating on whether to hand over the recording, his attempts to reach Rosanna Arquette have ground to a halt, and other sources have gone silent. In March, Farrow decides to call Sciorra, but she claims to know nothing.

One night in April, Farrow receives a phone call from a publicist named Matthew Hiltzik with whom Farrow has worked before. Hiltzik calls from an event where Hillary Clinton and Weinstein are in attendance. Weinstein has been asking about Farrow, and Hiltzik offered to find out more about a potential story. Farrow reveals nothing, even when asked about specific sources. Two hours later, Hiltzik calls again. He says Weinstein is agitated and upset, and he may be “taking action” (57). The next day, Farrow talks to Greenberg who suggests that the investigation may have to end. Farrow and McHugh agree that “somebody” called their bosses. Farrow hopes that if he brings more evidence to his superiors, they will have no choice but to continue the investigation.

Farrow reflects on the other reporters who have tried to expose Weinstein. Efforts in New York and The New Yorker magazines failed to bring down the movie producer. Farrow reaches out to journalists at those outlets to find out if they know anything more. The New Yorker journalist Ken Auletta admits that there was “more to [his article] than we were able to print” (59). He views taking down Weinstein as a public service, but no news outlet is willing to touch the story. This account, coupled with a growing list of potential survivors, gives Farrow hope of reviving the story.

Weinstein receives an email. Attached is an overview of the information compiled on Farrow so far. The information details people Farrow contacted in recent months as well as former and current co-workers who might provide stories about him. The attachment also details Farrow’s difficult family history. The email is sent by a private investigator named Sara Ness, who promises more detailed information in the future.

Rich Greenberg continues to tell Farrow and McHugh to ditch the Weinstein story. They agree to continue to gather more reporting to ensure that their case is bulletproof. They are forced to hide their efforts from their bosses.