High-profile lawyer Lisa Bloom has resigned from advising Hollywood studio head Harvey Weinstein, who was recently accused of sexually harassing female employees for decades.
Bloom announced her departure over Twitter on Saturday afternoon, writing, "I have resigned as an advisor to Harvey Weinstein. My understanding is that Mr. Weinstein and his board are moving toward an agreement."
Allegations against the movie mogul have been escalating since The New York Times published a story Thursday that he sexually harassed female assistants, executives and actresses — including Ashley Judd — for more than 30 years.
On Friday, television journalist Lauren Sivan reported that Weinstein trapped her in a restaurant hallway and masturbated in front of her in 2007, according to HuffPost.
Bloom has been under fire since the Times dropped the bombshell story chronicling years of alleged predatory behavior by Weinstein and the payouts that followed the allegations.
Prior to her stint as Weinstein's legal counselor on "gender and power dynamics," Bloom had built her career fighting legal battles on behalf of victims of violence and discrimination. She represented women who brought sexual harassment claims against former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, comedian Bill Cosby and President Trump.
On ABC's Good Morning America on Friday, Bloom explained her role with Weinstein. "See, you have to understand that, yes, I'm here as his adviser," she said.
"I'm not defending him in any sexual harassment cases — there aren't any sexual harassment cases. I'm working with a guy who has behaved badly over the years, who is genuinely remorseful, who says, you know, 'I have caused a lot of pain.' "
She told The New York Times that she "saw advising Mr. Weinstein as an opportunity, adding that she felt uniquely positioned to work with him," adding: "Here was an opportunity of a guy saying, 'Lisa, what should I do? I have behaved badly.' I'm like, 'Good, I'll tell you what to do. Be honest, be real.' "
Weinstein, who is co-chairman of the Weinstein Company, announced Friday that he is taking an indefinite leave of absence immediately.
Bloom and Weinstein have had a prior working relationship: His film studio is planning to work on a series of television and film projects about the life of Trayvon Martin, the black teenager who was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012. The projects are based on a pair of books about the teenager, one of which was written by Bloom.
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