Judi Dench Defends Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey's Work Despite Sexual Assault Accusations

As Harvey Weinstein awaits his upcoming sexual assault trial, the fallen Hollywood producer received a bit of support from Dame Judi Dench. The award-winning actor publicly condemned the likes of Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and notorious men accused of sexual harassment in the past, however, the 84-year-old didn't believe viewers had to turn a blind eye to the men's work in spite of their alleged crimes.

While speaking with Radio Times, Dench, who appeared on the cover of the publication's latest issue on Monday, suggested Weinstein and Spacey's work shouldn't be forgotten or shunned just because of the alleged heinous acts they've committed against others. "What kind of agony is that?" she asked.

"Are we going to negate 10 years at the Old Vic [where Spacey once served as artistic director] and everything that he did? How wonderful he's been in all those films? Are we just not going to see all those films that Harvey produced?" she continued.

Dench, who has worked with Weinstein on various projects including her Oscar-winning role for 1998's Shakespeare in Love, compared the disapproval surrounding the famed producer to Caravaggio, the renowned 17th-century painter whose works still hangs in the halls of churches and museums in Rome despite being sentenced for murder.

"You cannot deny somebody a talent," Dench said. "You might as well never look at a Caravaggio painting. You might as well never have gone to see Noël Coward [the famous English playwright and actor accused of harassment]."

Nearly 90 women came forward claiming Weinstein had harassed, sexually assaulted, or raped them following The New York Times' 2017 exposé, which documented allegations of misconduct spanning nearly two decades. He faces charges for two instances that surfaced in the aftermath of the article, including an incident in which he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on a woman in his New York apartment in 2006, and a 2013 altercation where he allegedly raped a woman in a New York hotel room.

Weinstein has denied all allegations against him and has pleaded not guilty. His trial is expected to begin on September 9.

Meanwhile, former House of Cards star Spacey faces charges of indecent assault and battery for his alleged groping of an 18-year-old boy in July 2016. He has also pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Spacey was previously accused of making sexual advances of actor Anthony Rapp in 1986 when Rapp was 14 years old. Spacey apologized for the encounter, although he admitted he didn't remember it.

Weinstein, Spacey and many of the men accused in light of the #MeToo movement have faced severe ridicule and criticism in response to the allegations against them. However, there have been some women to defend men's "freedom to pester" women, despite the current global tone surrounding men's harassment of women.

One hundred French women signed an open letter criticizing the #MeToo movement and the backlash many men were facing in regards to sexual harassment in January 2018. French movie star Catherine Deneuve was the many writers, performers, businesswomen and academics to sign the letter, which denounced the "hatred of men and sexuality." The letter appeared in the French newspaper Le Monde.