Gus Ruelas/Reuters
Meryl Streep on Monday morning joined the chorus of Hollywood big names speaking out against mega-producer Harvey Weinstein in light of the many sexual-harassment allegations leveled against him. “The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported,” Streep said, via a statement provided to HuffPost. “The intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse are our heroes.” Streep is a long-time collaborator with Weinstein and his company, most notably on her Oscar-winning turn in The Iron Lady. In her letter, Streep explained that while Weinstein had many close friends in Hollywood, his dark secrets were rather well-kept. “One thing can be clarified. Not everybody knew. Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally,” she wrote. “I didn’t know about these other offenses: I did not know about his financial settlements with actresses and colleagues; I did not know about his having meetings in his hotel room, his bathroom, or other inappropriate, coercive acts. And If everybody knew, I don’t believe that all the investigative reporters in the entertainment and the hard news media would have neglected for decades to write about it.” She concluded: “The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar. Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game.”