The nightmare of sexual predators in positions of power seems to be never ending. Prior to the Weinstein case, women who have come out against their assailants were met with harsh criticism and immense doubts. In fact, the accused were often left facing little to no repercussions at all. For example, Bill Cosby was unconvicted in numerous sexual assault charges, and both Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes left Fox News with millions in severance packages. Even the U.S. President Donald Trump was seemingly unscathed by numerous allegations of assault and harassment while on the campaign trail and after his inauguration.
But along came Harvey Weinstein. In recent days, we’ve learned just what kind of monster the Hollywood executive was, as well as the people who enabled him. As more celebrities are speaking out in support of Weinstein’s accusers, more women are speaking out against other high power sexual predators.
Introducing Andy Signore
Andy Signore is the creator of the popular youtube channel Screen Junkies, known for their series “Honest Trailers.” On Sunday, Defy Media announced that Signore was fired effective immediately after numerous women accused him of sexual harassment and in one instance, an attempt at sexual assault.
Emma Bower, a former intern for Signore, took to Twitter on Friday to share how exactly he used his position to prey on women. Bower tweets, “In light of recent events, just a nice reminder that the creator of @screenjunkies said he wanted to jack off to me.” Bower chose to speak out after news was circulating on the Weinstein case. While working for Signore, Bower says, he made inappropriate comments about masturbating to photos he found of her and then ask that she come over and do it in person.
April Dawn was just a fan of Screen Junkies when she met Andy Signore at Comic Con in Chicago sometime during 2015. Screen Junkies even flew her out to Los Angeles for a guest appearance on the Movie Fights Youtube series. Dawn tweeted that Signore had tried to assault her on numerous occasions. She and two other women went to Defy Media’s HR department, but their claims were not taken seriously. In her statement via Twitter, Dawn writes that Signore threatened to fire her boyfriend, Josh Tapia, who was a Screen Junkies engineer, if she spoke out against him.
April Dawn’s full statement via Twitter
Below is Defy Media’s statement in regards to the accusations:
And Roy Price, Amazon’s Assailant
Rose McGowan brought to light that the Weinstein case spilled out of Hollywood and into one of the most powerful corporations in the world, Amazon.
McGowan called out Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in her tweets discussing how she warned an unnamed Amazon studio executive that Weinstein assaulted her but was told it “hadn’t been proven.” The actress alleges that she, “forcefully begged the studio head to do the right thing.” She continues, “I was ignored. Deal was done. Amazon won a dirty Oscar.”
It turns out, the unnamed studio exec has a name: Roy Price.
According to an article published by Deadline, Roy Price has been accused of sexual harassment by Isa Hackett, a producer for Amazon’s “The Man in the High Castle.” Hackett told The Hollywood Reporter that Price repeatedly propositioned her in July of 2015 at a party for the company.
Following the report, a representative for Amazon confirmed Thursday night to Variety that Price had been placed “on leave of absence effective immediately.”
According to Hackett, the two shared a cab ride to the company party where price began making inappropriate comments. The comments continued even after Hackett told him she was married to a woman, with whom she has children, writes The Hollywood Reporter. Hackett also claims that the comments did not stop upon arrival to the party where he even yelled “Anal sex!” loudly in her ear. She reported the incident to studio executives but was never made aware of what disciplinary actions would take place, only that she did not see him at any other events.
Thanks to the brave women who have been coming forward about their harassment and assault by men in high power positions, more women have been able to speak out themselves without fear of persecution. Now that we’re seeing justice brought to the victims, and careers of predators being destroyed, what does this mean for the future of assault and harassment in the workplace? Is the prospect of being fired now scaring predators in the workplace? Or is this just a statement of the ugly truth, that they were never afraid of being caught in the first place?
Photos via Youtube and Twitter
More from BUST
Criticize Powerful Men, Not Survivors, For Staying Silent On Sexual Assault
Ben Affleck Condemns Buddy Harvey Weinstein, But It Turns Out He’s A Creeper Too
Sexual Assault Survivors Are Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place
