Hollywood Movie Producer Harvey Weinstein Fired Amid Sexual Harassment Controversy

Just days after The New York Times published a huge feature about American film executive Harvey Weinstein reportedly paying off sexual harassment accusers, his company, The Weinstein Company, announced today that he has been terminated.

The Weinstein Company's board of directors announced the firing today in a statement, saying it made the move "in light of new information about misconduct."

Weinstein, who founded The Weinstein Company with his brother Bob, announced that he was taking a leave of absence last week after the NYT story came out. In a statement, Weinstein said, "I so respect all women and regret what happened." He added: "I cannot be more remorseful about the people I hurt and I plan to do right by all of them."

One of the biggest names in Hollywood, Weinstein won the Best Picture Oscar for 1999's Shakespeare In Love and also picked up a nomination for 2003's Gangs of New York. Among his other producing credits included films like Pulp Fiction, The Aviator, and Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The NYT story cites anonymous Weinstein Company officials who said that Weinstein reached no fewer than eight settlements with women over the past decades. Actress Ashley Judd is among the celebrities referenced in the story. You can read it here.

Actor Mark Ruffalo spoke out against Weinstein today on Twitter. He said, "To be clear what Harvey Weinstein did was a disgusting abuse of power and horrible. I hope now we are seeing the beginning of the end of these abuses."