Cannes film festival condemns Weinstein sex assault

The Cannes film festival's senior executives on Wednesday said sexual assault allegations against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein merit "only the clearest and most unequivocal condemnation", as more women continue to come forward with accusations.

"We have been dismayed to learn of the accusations of harassment and sexual violence recently levelled against Harvey Weinstein," wrote the festival's president Pierre Lescure and director Thierry Fremaux.

"These actions point to a pattern of behaviour that merits only the clearest and most unequivocal condemnation," the leaders of the world's most prestigious film festival said in the statement posted on the festival's website.

"Our thoughts go out to the victims, to those who have had the courage to testify and to all the others. May this case help us once again to denounce all such serious and unacceptable practices."

On Wednesday, model and actress Cara Delevingne joined a slew of other well-known women to accuse Weinstein, 65, of sexual harassment.

The 25-year-old said the filmmaker propositioned her and attempted to kiss her after a meeting about an upcoming film.

On Tuesday, the "New Yorker" released a 10-month investigative expose in which Italian film star Asia Argento and two other women accused Weinstein of rape.

That bombshell report followed on the heels of a New York Times article last week alleging that since the 1990s the Oscar-winning producer had preyed on young women hoping to break into the film industry.

The list of the Oscar-winner's harassment victims also reportedly now includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Rosanna Arquette and French actress Judith Godreche.

Weinstein has denied all charges, according to a statement from his spokeswoman Sallie Hofmeister, circulated among US media.

Weinstein was fired late Sunday from his own film studio, three days after the New York Times published its report on the Oscar-winning producer behind such hits as "The King's Speech" and "The Artist".

On Wednesday, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) said it has suspended Weinstein's membership, effective immediately, saying it hoped the decision "sends a clear message that such behaviour has absolutely no place in our industry."

It added that such conduct is "completely unacceptable and incompatible with Bafta's values".

Source: AFP