Amazon Studios boss suspended over sexual harassment claim

Roy Price, the vice-president of Amazon Studios, has been suspended following claims of sexual harassment.

The studio has also announced that it is reconsidering projects that it’s working on with The Weinstein Company, following the allegations of sexual assault and harassment facing Harvey Weinstein.

It said in a statement: “Roy Price is on leave of absence effective immediately. We are reviewing our options for the projects we have with The Weinstein Co.”

The claims have been made public by Isa Hackett, producer on Amazon projects ‘The Man In The High Castle’ and the recent ‘Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams’, which has also been shown on Channel 4 in the UK.

Hackett, who is the daughter of the writer Philip K. Dick, on whose material the shows are based, said that her experience with Price was ‘shocking and surreal’.

She claims that he propositioned her in a cab on the way to an Amazon Studios staff party at Comic-Con in San Diego in 2015.

Hackett says that while in the cab he said to her ‘You will love my d**k’, at which point she flatly refused his advances. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she told at least two other people about the advance he made straight away.

Later at the party while she was talking to other executives, she says that he came close to her and said loudly into her ear the words ‘anal sex’.

Speaking to THR, she said: “Having power and influence is such a huge responsibility. As somebody with some power, I feel it is imperative for me to speak out. I want to call out [Price’s] behavior and also hold myself to a certain standard.

“It’s difficult because of the fact that I have two shows and I love those shows and I value my experience at Amazon. But this incident has been looming and it’s difficult to shake it.

“I didn’t want the details to come out previously because I didn’t want to distract or deflate the energies of all the people who are so invested in these shows, and all of that positivity. You don’t want to bring this into it. It feels demoralizing.”

Asked if she had been compelled come forward following the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, she added: “Yes… I think women inspire each other. I feel inspired by the other women who have been far braver than I am, who have come forward. I hope we all continue to inspire each other and ultimately create change.

“It is said over and over and sounds like a cliché, but we desperately need more women in leadership positions in Hollywood. There’s a culture of harassment [in Hollywood] and we need an infusion of new and diverse leadership, not just including women but gay people, people of color, people with disabilities — people with the full spectrum of life experience.”

The Weinstein Company projects that Amazon is now reconsidering are ‘The Romanoffs’, penned by ‘Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner, and an untitled drama by David O. Russell.

Read more
Mylene Klass was propositioned by Harvey Weinstein
Weinstein’s contract appeared to factor in harassment claims
Hilarie Burton says Ben Affleck groped her on TRL