Harvey Weinstein 'hired ex-Mossad spies to silence sex assault accusers'

Movie mogul Weinstein hired an "army of spies" including former Mossad agents, in an attempt to stop accusers from going public with sexual misconduct claims against him, according to a report in the New Yorker.

Among the private security agencies hired by Weinstein was Black Cube, which is largely run by former officers of Israeli intelligence agencies, including Mossad. Another was corporate intelligence giant Kroll, according to the magazine.

During the year-long pursuit, Weinstein and his team are accused of drawing up dossiers on dozens of people, which included psychological reports with information that could be used to discredit or intimidate targets who had brought claims against Weinstein.

The New Yorker report, published on November 6, alleges that two investigators from Black Cube met with American actor Rose McGowan while pretending to be a women's rights advocates to obtain information.

McGowan later publicly accused Weinstein of rape.

Another person alleged to have been spied on, actor Asia Argento, described the revelations as terrifying, writing on Twitter: "Why didn't I, @rosemcgowan, @RoArquette [Rosanna Arquette] @AnnabellSciorra spoke [sic] up earlier? We were followed by ex-Mossad agents. Isn't that terrifying? Very."

Weinstein "unequivocally denies" all claims of non-consensual sex, a spokeswoman for the producer said. 

His spokeswoman Sallie Hofmeister also dismissed the report, saying: "It is a fiction to suggest that any individuals were targeted or suppressed at any time."

Black Cube refused to comment specifically on its work for Weinstein but said: "It should be highlighted that Black Cube applies high moral standards to its work, and operates in full compliance with the law of any jurisdiction in which it operates, strictly following the guidance and legal opinions provided by leading law firms around the world."

Police in London, Los Angeles and New York have launched investigations into the alleged behaviour by Weinstein, 65, who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by more than 90 women.

Israel's Mossad is notorious for its controversial operations and governments across the Middle East have caught spy-rings conducting intelligence for Israel.