Hollywood naked! Jennifer Lopez’s partner reveals decades of abuse and corruption in the industry – Cine and TV
The recognized film producer and nearby collaborator of Jennifer Lopez, breaks the silence about the abuse of power that marked the entertainment industry in His first novel, Climbing in Heels. The book, inspired by their personal experiences during the eighties as an assistant at the William Morris agency, will see the light on April 29 under the stamp of St. Martin’s Press.
In a revealing conversation with Page Six, Goldsmith Thomas exposed the toxic culture that dominated Hollywood: “Harvey Weinstein was no exception, it was the norm. It was the old west.” His work tells, through the history of three young attendees, the sexual exploitation mechanisms that were daily part of the most powerful agencies.
One of the most shocking episodes that the book collects describes how an apprentice was awarded allowing him to listen to his boss having sex with actresses. “That story was told by an apprentice to which they allowed him story.
Goldsmith Thomas also recalled the dark practice known as the “New York Pouch”, a system in which cocaine was sent by mail from Los Angeles to New York in special envelopes. “It reminded me many thingsHe confessed.
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The author also shared a moment that could change her life forever: her initial encounter with Bill Cosby, who was then one of the agency’s star clients. After meeting him at lunch, he received an invitation to bring contracts to Beverly Wilshire Hotel. “I felt seen, really seen. I was excited. But a friend who worked in the agency’s presidency told me: ‘Don’t do it.’ He did not explain why, but it scared me enough not to go ”, story. Years later, Cosby would be accused by more than 60 women of sexual aggression, although his 2018 sentence was annulled in 2021.
The work environment, according to Goldsmith Thomas, was dominated by misogynist dynamics where harassment was usual. He recalled that in the mailbox they asked for sexual favors under comments such as: “Do you give me a Keppy?” When confronting them, the answer was clear: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” He added: “It was like Mad Men, it was: ‘love, kneel’. To the ‘bad guys’ congratulated them privately. They lived through them.”
Although he stressed that not all men acted the same, he acknowledged that many behaved in a predatory manner, including harassment towards homosexual apprentices who, secretly, were also exploited.
Discrimination and abuse were not limited to offices. Goldsmith Thomas explained that young actresses faced an exploitation system from the auditions. “There was a casting sofa even before arriving at the agency. An actress entered and the casting director asked me: ‘Is it fun? Is it high? Is it sexy?’ I said: ‘It looks good.’
Asked about the impact of the #MeToo movement, it was overwhelming: “One thousand percent. And not only for men, he changed for everyone. Now everyone takes care of themselves in a way they didn’t do before. And good, because when you look behind, it was incredible. ”
Goldsmith Thomas attributes to Jennifer Lopez the decisive impulse to write Climbing in Heels. “Not only gave me green light, it was rather: ‘What a shame you are not doing. This is what you want to be and do’,” shared. Both have worked together for more than two decades, since they met in 1998 in a Broadway function. “We feel a very visceral connection,” added.
The admiration of Goldsmith Thomas towards Lopez goes beyond the professional. “Sometimes, when I see what they write about her, I want to call everyone and say: ‘They have everything wrong.’ She is one of the less prejudiced people I know “he said.
The success of the book will not be limited to the pages: Climbing in Heels will be adapted for television by Peacock, which quickly acquired the rights. The project will feature the executive production of Goldsmith Thomas and Darren Star, creator of successes such as Sex and The City and Emily in Paris. “I am delighted that Climbing in Heels has been acquired so fast by Peacock. It is the perfect home for Darren and I give life to these characters so complex and colorful,” The author celebrated.
