Weinstein’s cunning plan to recruit a gossip writer dismantled

THE disgraced Hollywood mogul allegedly hatched a cunning plan to recruit a gossip writer who he asked to pose as an author.

A GOSSIP writer says disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein tried to recruit him to pose as an author to get dirt on the women who accused him of sexual assault.

(US actress Paz de la Huerta claims Weinstein raped her twice in 2010. Picture: AFP / Loic Venance.

Appearing on Heather McDonald’s Juicy Scoop podcast, former New York columnist A.J. Benza said that in December of last year, Weinstein — a longtime contact — had asked to meet at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, reports the New York Post.

Benza claims Weinstein said that New York Magazine was trying to “do a Bill Cosby” on him.

US actress Daryl Hannah alleged Weinstein at one point "burst in like a raging bull" to her hotel room where she was with a male makeup artist and later asked to touch her breasts. Picture: AFP / Tiziana Fabi.

Benza says the shamed mogul — who has been accused by more than 80 women of sexual misconduct, harassment, assault or rape — told him, “We’ve got to come up with a plan where you can figure out who’s talking to New York Magazine. Maybe you can pose as an author writing a book that slams me.”

Benza — who said that he wouldn’t have considered working on the faux book if he had known the extent of the accusations that would eventually be made against Weinstein — says that he didn’t think the plan would work, but that Weinstein offered to pay him $26,000 a month for the job.

A stream of actress including Rose McGowan, models and ex-employees have come out, many anonymously, to accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment and abuse dating as far back as the 1990s. Picture: AFP / Rena Laverty.

As The New Yorker reported, Weinstein eventually hired private detectives to find out who was talking to the press about him, but it all backfired.

A rep for Weinstein said, “Mr. Benza is a friend of Mr. Weinstein’s but they clearly have a difference of opinion.

“Mr. Weinstein asked Mr. Benza if he had heard anything about a New York Magazine article, but never asked him to write a book.”

This article was originally published on the New York Post and was republished here with permission.

Originally published as Weinstein’s cunning plan to recruit a gossip writer dismantled