Chapter 357: This Isn't Enough

After taking Kristen Stewart back to the seaside villa in Palisades, Santa Monica, Charles called his mother.

"Are you certain about this? This is a big deal. Harvey has significant connections in Hollywood and the screenwriters' strike just ended..."

"Relax, we can use conservative forces to amplify this. Let's use the Wall Street Journal as the breakthrough point."

"Alright, I'll arrange it."

Lying in bed, Charles put down his phone. Kristen Stewart, fresh out of the shower and wearing a bathrobe, walked over and slipped into Charles's arms. "I am so sore from earlier," she said.

"Sweetheart, you're truly beautiful," Charles said, touching her face before sliding his hand inside her bathrobe.

"Oh, I heard the lead actor in Twilight is quite handsome. What do you think?" Charles asked with a grin, as he continued to enjoy her presence.

"You mean Robert Pattinson? Yeah, he's pretty good. British hottie," Kristen Stewart said nonchalantly, leaving her bathrobe wide open.

"Let's stir up some romance rumors during the promotion. Didn't we have rumors about us last year?"

"Your rumors sure are many," Kristen said, lightly brushing her fingers over Charles's abs.

Then she lowered her head and started kissing his abs.

...

New York, Manhattan, Upper East Side.

Rupert Murdoch, in his mansion, held an article titled "Hollywood's Secrets About Harvey Weinstein!"

Former New York Times reporter Sharon Waxman had compiled the details after years of tracking and investigating Harvey Weinstein's actions, which were indeed shocking.

After a while, Fox News Channel's chairman, Roger Ailes, came over, and they exchanged glances.

"Publish it. Hollywood's fundraising for the Democrats is way ahead," said Roger Ailes, though he worked in TV media, he was aware of Harvey Weinstein.

"This is going to throw Hollywood into chaos. It might affect a lot of interests," Rupert Murdoch remarked. His News Corporation's biggest profit center was Fox Television, Sky Network, and such. While 20th Century Fox did not contribute much, the 'locomotive effect' of films mattered.

"The Wall Street Journal needs a big story to establish the new owner's credibility. Sharon Waxman was rejected by the New York Times years ago, it doesn't mean she'll be rejected by the Los Angeles Times or the Washington Post now," Ailes pointed out. Boosting the Republican Party's strength was his main goal. If the Wall Street Journal didn't publish it, other Republican-leaning media would.

Rupert Murdoch knew the Bush administration was struggling with the financial crisis triggered by the subprime mortgage issue, and the civilian abuse news from Iraq had tarnished the White House's reputation.

The Democrats were getting too cocky; something needed to cool them down. "Fine, let the Wall Street Journal publish it, and all News Corporation media will follow up with full speed! As for Hollywood, I'll handle it when I get back to Los Angeles!"

Roger Ailes thought for a moment, "You can win over Charles Capet from Capet Pictures. He's a big name in Hollywood now, the Hollywood Golden Boy. If he gets involved, it'll help a lot!"

Rupert Murdoch nodded. If the Hollywood Golden Boy took a public stand on this matter, it would push it forward significantly.

But would Charles be willing? He knew very well what Hollywood was like, and so did Charles.

This wasn't just about one Harvey Weinstein, but many of them!

In 2008, just a month after a 100-day-long writers' strike in Hollywood, the Wall Street Journal published an article that threw Hollywood into chaos.

Former New York Times entertainment reporter Sharon Waxman's article, "Hollywood's Secrets About Harvey Weinstein," revealed how Weinstein had been abusing women in Hollywood for over twenty years.

Soon, the New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Observer, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, and USA Today began to reprint the story.

"What does Rupert Murdoch want?" Harvey Weinstein tore up the New York Observer weekly in anger at the New York headquarters of Weinstein Company.

The article pointed out how Harvey Weinstein used his power to abuse female producers, actresses, models, and assistants in the film industry.

It also noted his sexual harassment mostly occurred during European film festivals and business trips there.

There were also interviews with victims from London, Paris, and other foreign cities, as well as domestic ones in the US. Some victims were willing to testify anonymously due to non-disclosure agreements they signed with Weinstein.

A furious Harvey Weinstein's eyelids twitched constantly. It was no wonder Rupert Murdoch wouldn't take his calls.

"Hurry, spend money to PR this for me; I need to clear up these issues," Harvey Weinstein wanted to get through this as quickly as possible.

Within just three days, Reuters in the UK and Agence France-Presse in France had picked up on the Hollywood scandal, and European newspapers began joining the reporting spree.

...

In Los Angeles, at a luxurious seaside villa in Malibu's Point Dume, Charles sat on the sofa with Camille, and was on the phone with Arianna Huffington.

"Make sure Obama publicly distances himself from Harvey Weinstein and returns any political donations!"

"Harvey Weinstein mainly supports Hillary. We didn't get much from him," Arianna Huffington hesitated before asking, "What's Hollywood planning to do about Weinstein?"

"Not sure yet, but either way, Harvey's career in film is over," Charles said clearly. Even if Hollywood tried to protect Weinstein, Charles would not let him continue in the industry.

"The Democratic primaries are less than three months away, and the Weinstein scandal will surely hurt Hillary. Hollywood's big players will fully back Obama by then!"

"Don't worry, I know what to do. Obama will make a statement immediately," Arianna Huffington assured.

Camille hugged Charles and smiled. "Just this much isn't enough to truly hurt Harvey Weinstein!"

Charles lifted the chin of the beautiful entertainment lawyer and kissed her, "Of course there's more to come. Anonymous accusations won't achieve much. Don't worry, Hollywood never lacks opportunistic women looking for a story!"

*****

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