>> i think he's a monster. >> others who crossed his path. >> speaking out for the first time on camera. >> what are you doing? no! this is not okay. >> parties, women say with a guest list of two. >> where is everybody? >> their fears of his retaliation. >> this is unfair. >> i will never do another thing to you, five minutes. don't ruin your friendship with me. >> so why did the da do nothing as the settlements mounted. >> tonight they're silent no more. >> men might think it's a game they're winning and we have let them win. for a long time. >> i'm elizabeth vargas. >> and i'm david muir and this is "20/20." >> fade in to a los angeles skyline. 1989 and our telling of the weinstein scandal saga begins with the premier of a film called "sex, lies and video." >> did you make one of these damn videotapes? >> it marks the arrival of hollywood executive harvey weinstein who heads up upstart studio called miramax. >> it trance forled the american film industry. made them the player and harvey was the man at miramax. >> cut to one year later. "sex lies and videotape" is up for best screen play. >> at a party before the big man. 20-year-old paula williams meets the rising mogul. she's a model looking to break into the business. >> i was very excited to meet him. >> he said he was having a dinner party. with a lot of people that i should probably meet. >> reporter: now the scene shifts and so does the mood. paula says a week later weinstein sends her a car to bring her to that supposed dinner at his home in the hollywood hills. >> i walk in. and it's just harvey. and he immediately starts massaging my neck. i heard him open a bottle of champagne and i don't even think i had a sip, and he exposed himself. this was outrageous and i wanted it to be okay if i saw him again, and i didn't want him to say anything bad about me. >> reporter: paula says she escapes before anything happens. hopping over fences and running in high heels through neighbors yards. she ends up quitting the business, but the harvey weinstein story is still in its opening act. the next twenty five years will see him generate a remarkable string of hits. check the numbers. over $8 billion dollar at the u.s. box office, nearly 350 oscar nominations for his company's films, 80 wins. ♪ all that jazz and countless classic movie lines. and now a new metric, at least 35 women accusing weinstein of sexual misconduct. >> harvey weinstein is one of the most influential and powerful studio chiefs of recent vantage in hollywood, who turned out to be the worst sleazebag we could possibly have imagined, he apparently is reaping his just desserts. >> reporter: if weinstein ends up in handcuffs, it will be in large part due to the work of ronan farrow. his expose in this week's new yorker magazine includes statements from a stunning 13 different women, many of them famous actresses who tell different variations of the same harrowing tale. the accusers include two actresses who appeared in miramax films in the mid 90s. rosanna arquette, seen here in pulp fiction. and mira sorvino, who an oscar for her role in "mighty aphrodite." >> hi. are you my 3:00? yeah, that's right. >> in mira's story to you she was in toronto film festival promoting mighty aphrodite. she had an encounter with harvey weinstein what happened? >> mira sorvino told me that harvey weinstein began to try to message her shoulders, that she was very uncomfortable. he began to try to get physical in other ways. this culminated in her running away from him and in her words him chasing her around a room. a few weeks later when she's back home in new york she says weinstein calls her after midnight -- >> and then showing up at her doorstep. and she talked about not being able to breathe because she was so terrified of his physical presence, of his power to affect her career. she called a friend and said come quick to pose as a boyfriend. she was very, very scared. >> both rosanna arquette and mira sorvino, they do say the feel that their rejection of harvey weinstein led to difficulties in their career paths in hollywood. >> yes. they also felt confident that they were being bad mouthed after they had rejected him. that people were being told not to hire them. they felt in the words of mira sorvino, frozen out. >> i remember him saying welcome to the miramax family. >> the part of brother. >> reporter: up and coming actresses katherine kendll starred in the 1996 gen-x comedy swingers. she has her own story of a promising meeting with weinstein at the miramax offices in new york, all a pretext, she says, for her to go over to weinstein's apartment. >> he goes to the bathroom or something, and then he comes back out and he's fully naked. and that's when i just thought, what is happening? how is this happening and what is he gonna do to me? >> reporter: kendall says when she tried to run away weinstein blocked the door. >> and says, well, at least just pick up your shirt and let me see your breasts. i'm like no. you know, at this point, i'm just shaking and i'm infuriated and terrified and insulted -- it was the first time i really saw that there are people in positions of power in hollywood, that can make or break things. if you're not willing to play the game, then you're not, maybe you know, you're not gonna go very far. >> reporter: she rejected his requests and managed to get away from him. slow dissolve, it's now january of 1997. hollywood descends on park city utah for the annual sundance film festival. naturally weinstein is there in his element. and so is actress rose mcgowan, who previously starred in weinstein's blockbuster "scream." >> i want to go to bed with you. >> all right. >> reporter: she's promoting her new movie "going all the way" with her co- star ben affleck whose career was launched by weinstein films. >> i found the class. elementary. >> elementary. >> "harvey weinstein, who believed in us, and made this movie." >> reporter: mcgowan claims she found herself alone with weinstein in a hotel room where something awful happened. >> according to the new york times -- harvey weinstein paid rose mcgowan $100,000 settlement because of something that happened in harvey weinstein's hotel room. the settlement says that it is not to be construed as an admission that something untoward happened. >> reporter: that would be one of eight reported settlements weinstein would pay out over the years. but there's money to burn in the late 90s miramax is cranking out hits. >> it's tom ripley. >> tom ripley? >> we were at princeton together. >> reporter: and harvey weinstein bestrides the earth like a collossus. his ambitions and appetites seem limitless. but as his power grows, so too does his alleged aggression. did he cross the line from sexual harassment to sexual assault? is a tangle of multiple symptoms that can make you sad, feel tired, and have difficulty concentrating. trintellix is a prescription medication for depression. it may help you take a step forward in improving your depression. tell your healthcare professional right away if your depression worsens, or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens and young adults. do not take with maois. tell your healthcare professional about your medications, including migraine, psychiatric and depression medications, to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. increased risk of bleeding or bruising may occur, especially if taken with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin or blood thinners. manic episodes or vision problems may occur in some people. may cause low sodium levels. the most common side effects were nausea, constipation and vomiting. ask your healthcare professional if it's time for a change to trintellix. from executive producer "thmartin scorsese.". [ distorted voice ] mister policeman, by the time you read this, [ distorted voice ] i will have built a new snowman. the snowman. rated r. [ "mo♪ more, more, more ny ] ♪ how do you like it ♪ how do you like it ♪ more, more, more ♪ how do you like it ♪ how do you like it ♪ how do you like it ♪ more, more, more 'saved money on motorcycle insurance with geico. goin' up the country. later, gary' i have a motorcycle! wonderful. ♪ ♪ i'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go? ♪ ♪ i'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go? ♪ geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. >> announcer: "20/20" continues. once again elizabeth vargas. >> reporter: gwyneth paltrow has appeared in nearly 20 films including emma and sliding doors. this is her first academy award. >> reporter: act two, tears of joy, it's g weneth paltrow winning best actress for shakespeare in love. >> i would like to thank harvey weinstein, and everyone at miramax films for their undying support of me." >> reporter: paltrow now claims, in the mid-90's, harvey weinstein harassed her as well. but this night, it's all smiles as weinstein's films collect an armful of oscars. >> and the oscar goes to "shakespeare in love". [ applause ] harvey weinstein. >> reporter: "shakespeare in love" wins best picture, and its exuberant producers thank the academy. >> "for me this was a great experience. a passion for five years." >> reporter: cue the orchestra. ♪ >> thank you. >> reporter: harvey it seemed like could get an oscar when he wanted it. and he would prove it again and again and again. so what does a man like weinstein do after he's conquered hollywood? conquer washington, of course. >> i want to say a special word of thanks to these three extraordinary guys who are up here jann wenner, john sykes and harvey weinstein. the three divas who have done such an extraordinary job. >> reporter: weinstein began bankrolling democratic campaigns. at "shakespeare in love's" premiere, that's hillary clinton by his side. but the bad behavior allegedly continued. >> you think of touching me you're gonna find yourself limping. >> i'll take my chances. >> reporter: the new york times reports angelina jolie alleges weinstein made "unwanted advances" in a hotel room during the release of the film "playing by heart." >> look, pal, and i mean this affectionately, scram. >> reporter: jolie says she rejected the advances and chose never to work with weinstein again. but now, according to new yorker magazine contributor ronan farrow, the story turns from sleazy to scary. >> what you outline in your article though, goes much further. this is rape. >> three allegations of rape and in total 13 women who talked to me and there are assaults in there and over and over again. there is activity that is highly criminal. now harvey weinstein gave us a statement saying all these interactions were consensual and there was never any retribution but the women in this tell a very different story. >> my name is b. monkey. >> reporter: actress and director asia argento appeared in the 1999 film "b. monkey". harvey weinstein was co-executive producer. >> she was told that there was a miramax party and was escorted there by a weinstein producer. >> reporter: argento told farrow that when she found herself alone with weinstein, he assaulted her. and she recounted how he emerged in a bathrobe, asked for a massage, and then pulled up her skirt and forcibly performed oral sex on her as she said no over and over again. >> argento reportedly says weinstein continued to pursue her afterward. called her repeatedly offered her gifts, which she refused initially, but over the years she did yield to some of those advances and there were subsequent consensual sexual encounters. argento never went to the police. >> she did, however, write about that and put it in a movie that she directed and starred in. >> that's right. >> reporter: a heavyset powerful film producer makes a pass at her. >> i'm just really tired and you know what would be great? if you would give me a massage, you know just a little massage to make me relax. >> she said the biggest difference between reality and this film was in the movie her character ran. >> ah! >> come back here. >> reporter: we turn now to 2005. harvey weinstein leaves miramax and launches the weinstein company. but the old magic seems to be missing. there's a series of films no one wants to see. >> i left the coffee pot on again didn't i? >> the harvey movies are feast or famine. you know harvey is going for oscar credibility and he's trying these big things and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. but it's not all bad. >> reporter: in 2007, weinstein marries georgina chapman, a former model and actress who was launching a new fashion line. weinstein is now in his mid 50s, rich and famous, with a beautiful young wife but, his accusers say, still not satisfied. >> he was really flattering. he seemed surprised by how well-read i was, which at the time made me feel great. >> reporter: los angeles tv anchor lauren sivan says she met weinstein in new york in 2007. the same year of he released denzel washington's movie "the great debaters." >> it's a feel good, it's not a feel good movie, it's a feel great, movie. >> reporter: sivan says weinstein was charming until she says he cornered her alone in the basement of a restaurant. >> and that's when he exposed himself. >> reporter: she says he pleasured himself. >> i just was stunned the whole time. like, in complete shock. i could not believe what i was watching. but as soon as he was done, i -- i said, "can i go now? are we done?" i just wanted to get outta there. >> reporter: 2008. another year, another accusation. this time the aspiring actress is louisette geiss. >> i'll take one bite out of that thing i'll come flying out of this dress. >> reporter: a business meeting in a hotel room, a bathrobe, and, geiss says, a lewd proposition. a three picture deal if she would watch weinstein pleasure himself in a hot tub. >> and i said this is disgusting and i've got to go. and like i said he came very close to me and was kinda trying to kiss me and i just pushed him away and ran to the door, and when i got to the door, luckily it opened. and i walked out. >> reporter: still ahead, is weinstein the only one in hot water? did his employees know what their boss was allegedly up to? could some of them have been complicit? stay with us. this this this this is my body of proof. proof of less joint pain and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can take on psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. what's your body of proof? - [announcer] presenting the shark ion flex 2x. the free-standing, cord free vacuum that can live anywhere because it has two rechargeable batteries. that means you can always be charging, even while you're cleaning. with duo clean, multiflex, and powerful suction so you can go, and go, and go again. welcome to hassle-free runtime with shark. hey, i just want wbyceiydbo car. wbyceiydbo? we'll buy your car even if you don't buy ours it's an acronym, wbyceiydbo wbyceiydbo! oh, ok wbyceiydbo it's the right thing to do. unlike ordinary toothpaste colgate total... fights bacteria on teeth, tongue, cheeks and gums for a healthier mouth. so you're totally ready. colgate total. be totally ready for life. in our home we never give up. in our home we make memories. in our home we are grateful. we do forgiveness. we have fun. we love one another. in this family we know what matters most is made at home. brings us to gfx the 2010 project runway fashion show in new york, where a giant of the entertainment industry surveys the merchandise from the front row. harvey weinstein is now a player in the fashion world and he's found success on tv with the fashion reality show "project runway." that same year back in los angeles, juls bindi, a massage therapist to the stars, says weinstein arranged for a session in his suite at the montage hotel. >> he's like, "oh my god, your massage is so good. it's like an art form that you're doing. he was like you should write about this. >> reporter: this is an interesting wrinkle, bindi says weinstein then starts texting her constantly about a book deal. >> who would not be flattered to have the opportunity to be a published author. >> reporter: but when weinstein returned for a second massage, bindi says he wanted something more. >> he cut the massage short. and he gets up and he just says how big is my penis? i was like, "excuse me?" then he followed me into the bathroom, he shuts the door behind him. >> reporter: then bindi says he proceeds to pleasure himself. >> i'm like, "please, this is not appropriate, i do not feel comfortable. no, this is not okay. he grabbed me, started groping on my chest. and i pushed him away. i was stunned what do you do in a situation like that? you have this guy who is overpowering you what can you do? he said do you want the book deal or not? >> reporter: emails show weinstein's people following up with bindi about the book proposal. >> i get the book deal because i allowed this man to attack me without telling on him? that's not right. i didn't pursue it. >> and that's the way that many sexual harassers make these things go away. is payments, sometimes i guess a book deal. >> reporter: she considers pursuing legal action but says she's advised against going public if she isn't ready to face the fallout. i was terrified. i was scared. how can you not be scared of harvey weinstein? he could destroyer my career. meanwhile, weinstein's career is entering a new enchanted phase. the king's speech garners 12 oscar nominations, winning four including best picture. >> the media dubbed weinstein the comeback kid. in 2012 weinstein's "the iron lady" snags an oscar and a golden globe for meryl streep . >> i just want to thank my agent kevin huvane, and god, harvey weinstein" .the documentary "bully" gives weinstein a chance to strut his social conscience. >> i always hated injustice. i might be tough but i hate injustice. >> and time magazine names him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. >> he was a figure in political circles. he was a figure to be reckoned with. >> jennifer lawrence. >> harvey thank you for killing whoever you had to kill to get me up here today. >> in 2013 the praises interrupted by this memorable dig. listen to seth mcfarland as he announce that is year's oscar nominees for best supporting actress. >> congratulations you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to harvey weinstein. >> mcfarland says that zinger came from a place of loathe and anger. anger spawned by what jessica barth had told him. yet another alleged story of sexual harassment for harvey weinstein right down to the hotel room. the champagne and the invitation to massage. >> when she tries to leave he then turns on her, lashes out, insults her and says she's too fat. >> so many alleged victims. so many years of silence. >> they're absolutely was a culture of silence and it required many, many actors to aid and abet. this was over and over again i was told was an open secret. >> the only way something like this stays quiet for so long is when there are a number of settlements with a confidentiality agreement. what harvey weinstein was really paying for was silence. >> as for weinstein's colleagues at miramax and the company some accusers allegedly they abedded his misbehavior, attended initial meetings with weinstein and leaving him alone with the woman. >> when you're acts as the honey pot and luring another woman into a room shouldn't you bear some of the responsibility? are you not complicit in that? >> and when internal complaints about weinstein's behavior made it to human resources they went nowhere. >> multiple women talked about how ineffectful that hr was and they knew that if they went that that office they might be retaliated against. >> dip to black. in 2015 the weinstein company distributions a documentary called the hunting ground about sexual assault on college cam s campus campuses. >> i trusted what he said. >> he will find himself in the crosshairs of the nypd. one victim thinks she has a recording to prove it. >> you touched my breasts. >> i'm used to that. >> stay with us. i can do this job in my sleep better than some people can do awake. i just want to make sure this brain stays in hyperdrive. hey we hear you. that's why aarp created staying sharp. it's more than brain games. it's a personalized, 360 approach to brain health. with assessments and tools that can help you keep your brain sharp. if you don't think "this is right for me" when you think aarp, then you don't know "aarp." get to know us at aarp.org/possibilities. we make the food and deliver right to your door. so you won't have to lift a finger... just a fork. so we sent that sample i doff to ancestry. i was from ethnically. my ancestry dna results are that i am 26% nigerian. i am just trying to learn as much as i can about my culture. i put the gele on my head and i looked into the mirror and i was trying not to cry. because it's a hat, but it's like the most important hat i've ever owned. discover the story only your dna can tell. order your kit now at ancestrydna.com. something we all think about as we head into retirement. it's why brighthouse financial is committed to help protect what you've earned and ensure it lasts. introducing shield annuities, a line of products that allow you to take advantage of growth opportunities. while maintaining a level of protection in down markets. so you can head into retirement with confidence. talk with your advisor about shield annuities from brighthouse financial established by metlife. by living off the grid. completely. or... set the washing machine to cold. do your thing. energy upgrade california. grown right here in california, with absolutely no antibiotics ever. a better way to grow, a better way to eat. and it starts with foster farms simply raised chicken. california grown with no antibiotics ever. >> reporter: exterior shot night a new york police precinct the year, 2015. a young woman walks into the precinct's front door with a harrowing tale of sexual assault. >> and the police noticed that, first of all, she was upset. and they thought she was distraught. >> reporter: the person who the shaken woman told police had assaulted her was none other than movie mogul harvey weinstein. >> i'm told they found her completely believable. you gotta remember, they're new york people. they know who harvey weinstein is. and they knew this was a significant allegation against a significant guy. >> reporter: columnist michael daly of the daily beast spoke to police sources who worked the case and compiled a blow by blow scenario of the woman's alleged encounter with weinstein. >> she first met him on thursday, radio city. >> reporter: act 1 of this drama unfolds on march 26, 2015 at the premiere of the spring spectacular show produced by weinstein. here he crosses paths with 22-year-old ambra gutierrez a beautiful model from italy. >> and he says, "come down. we'll talk to you about, you know, your future in the business." and so, why not? >> reporter: the very next day, the location shifts to manhattan's tribeca neighborhood as gutierrez walks into weinstein's offices for that scheduled meeting. >> his assistant shows her in, i'm told, so she's got no reason to worry, right? then the assistant steps out of the room, and she's there with him. and the story that she will later say is that he asked her if her breasts were real, and they felt them without her consent, and then tried to grope her under her skirt. >> reporter: police say the shaken gutierrez leaves the building and goes directly to a friend who then takes her to that nypd precinct house. the special victims unit is called in. >> they know this is not "he said, she said." this is a "he said, she said." but she is very convincing. so in their minds that makes her like this. >> reporter: then in a major plot twist, even as she's talking to detectives her phone rings it's harvey weinstein. >> he talks to her on the phone about, "well, maybe come tomorrow night." and then the cops, they urged her to go and meet with him. and she agrees to meet him. >> reporter: cut to the following night the location a chic soho hotel. gutierrez walks in and heads to the bar for the meeting with weinstein in an undercover sting straight out of one his movies. >> they set themselves up so they can keep an eye on her. and they're recording the conversation with two cellphones, one of which is her phone. he offers her a drink, she says she's drinking water. she takes a picture and puts it on instagram of the water glass. that's like saying, "i was not drunk. i was not drinking." >> reporter: under the watchful eye of police officers gutierrez goes with weinstein upstairs to his room but stops in the hallway outside his door. ronan farrow was able to obtain a copy of the undercover recording. >> i'm telling you right now, get in here. >> what do we have to do here? >> nothing! i'm gonna take a shower, you sit there and have a drink. water. >> i don't drink. >> then have a glass of water. >> no i don't want to. >> honey, don't have a fight with me in the hallway. >> it's not nothing, it's -- >> please. i am not gonna do anything, i swear on my children. please come in. on everything, i'm a famous guy. >> i'm, i'm feeling very uncomfortable right now. >> please come in now. >> reporter: now listen closely as gutierrez confronts weinstein about his alleged groping of her the previous day. >> why yesterday you touch my breast? >> oh please, i'm sorry, just come on i'm used to that. come on, please. >> you're used to that? >> yes, come in. >> no, but i'm not used to that. >> i won't do it again, come on, sit here. sit here for a minute, please? >> no i don't want to. >> this is a man admitting to a sexual assault and also describing it as a pattern of behavior. >> pretty chilling and disturbing. >> but also it's disturbing audio to hear, you know, this is a woman saying, "no," again and again and again that she doesn't want to go into this room and, you know, it appears this is a man who does not, want to take no for an answer. >> i will never do another thing to you. five minutes. don't ruin your friendship with me for five minutes. >> i know, but it's kind of like, it's too much for me, i can't. >> please you're making a big scene here, please. >> no but i wanna leave. >> ok bye. thank you. >> reporter: police have heard enough they confront weinstein and bring him into the station for questioning. news of the incident quickly becomes public but curiously lurid articles about his accuser soon begin popping up in the tabloids. the new york post reports that gutierrez had asked weinstein for a film role after the alleged incident and that as a teenager she had accused her older, wealthy boyfriend of sexual assault. other tabloids go to town with details of how gutierrez had attended one of former italian prime minister silvio berlusconi's notorious sex parties. >> it's my opinion, that his high-powered team started putting out stories about my client that would have weakened her, would have emotionally impacted her, would have caused her to recoil. and sure enough heller says gutierrez soon stops cooperating with authorities. she eventually reaches a financial settlement with weinstein, signs a non- disclosure agreement and leaves the country. >> when you have the ability to be compensated with a lot of money, and on the other hand, you say, "oh my god," if you're a victim, "all my history is gonna come up," i don't blame her at all, i understand it. but remember, even without gutierrez's cooperation prosecutors still have that audio recording of weinstein seemingly admitting to sexual assault. >> they routinely lock up, prosecute and convict and jail subway gropers on a lot less evidence than that. >> reporter: but in the end the district attorney drops the case against weinstein saying his prosecutors just didn't have enough evidence to convict. >> i, like they, were very disturbed by the contents of the tape. our sex crimes prosecutors made a determination that this was not gonna be a provable case. >> i don't think that it should have been any reluctance on the part of the district attorney. there would've been two years of victims that might have been spared the anguish of going through what we see coming out of the woodwork now. >> announcer: coming up talk about coming out of the woodwork the female stars of hollywood will be silent no more. harvey weinstein's house of cards collapses. "the new york times" reporting al fwaxs by nums rouse women who say the hollywood mogul sexually harassed them -- but does he one more ace up his sleeve? >> second chance i hope. >> next. ost everywhere on almost everybody. the arm of an arm wrestler? the back of a quarterback? the face of a fairy? prescription eucrisa is a nose to toes eczema ointment. it blocks overactive pde4 enzymes within your skin. and it's steroid-free. do not use if you are allergic to eucrisa or its ingredients. allergic reactions may occur at or near the application site. the most common side effect is application site pain. ask your doctor about eucrisa. 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"lion". >> i have to find my way back home. >> and his now decades old secret. al dwlegations of sexual harasst and assault is guarded from the public. >> the culture of silence exists because it is a scary thing to go public. but that culture is change. >> in fact a under way even as weinstein walks the red carpet, equally powerful media titans are being toppled for allegations of sexual misconduct. bill cosby. fox ceo roger ailes. >> and late today, word of a major change at fox news. >> reporter: bill o'reilly. even a 10-year-old recording of a boastful, future president trump, has come to light. >> when you're a star you can do anything. >> reporter: and now, the façade around weinstein begins to slip, his latest oscar contender, lion, looses and according to some of his alleged victims, the feeling in tinsletown is, at last, weinstein's power is waning. goliath may finally be defenseless to his david. >> he's weaker. >> he is weaker, in the words of one producer i talked to, he was the second or third most powerful person in that business, and now he is the 200th. >> reporter: and just 8 days ago on thursday, october 5th, at 2:07 in the afternoon, "the new york times" harpoons their white whale, the weinstein story breaks. >> "the new york times" reporting allegations by numerous women who say the hollywood mogul sexually harassed them. >> when the times dropped their story, it was seismic. it was a culture-changing moment. i would say. >> reporter: for some of weinstein's accusers, like paula williams, it's a sigh of relief. sglifs very happy. it's the shame. it -- i could feel it lifting. it -- made me feel normal almost. and amongst good company. >> reporter: in that article "the times" brings forth allegations of incidents spanning nearly 30 years, reported payoffs to at least eight women and the first bold face names, rose mcgowan and ashley judd. 2:26 that same day weinstein's first response to the allegations. saying in part: "i appreciate the way i've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and i sincerely apologize for it. >> reporter: but it was followed up an hour later with a more defiant weinstein telling "the new york post" and "daily mail" he's suing "the times" for an "inability to be honest with me and their reckless reporting." >> i don't know why he thought that was a good idea, when you have all of these women coming forward. >> reporter: and in fact, lauren sivan says, it's that response by weinstein that brings her out of the shadows. >> i don't think i would have come out publicly until-- until he issued that statement. it -- it angered me so much. it just showed me how -- how delusional he is about his own behavior. >> reporter: time lapse, new york city, night. it's sunday, october 8th, 7:35 p.m., the weinstein company announces harvey weinstein has been fired from the very company he founded. by late monday october 9th, an increasingly vocal chorus of a-listers who once sung his praises, come out to condemn him. meryl streep, judi dench, kate winslet and by the next morning, jennifer lawrence has issued her own condemnation. and at 9:18 a.m. after five days of public silence ben affleck, a weinstein protége, denounces him on facebook. writing in part that he was "saddened and angry" and "we must support those who come forward, condemn this type of behavior when we see it." but his response has an unintended consequence. rose mcgowan calls out affleck on twitter, accusing him of knowing for years about weinstein's alleged incident with her, she claims affleck once said, "i told him to stop doing that." she adds in her tweet, "you said that to my face, you lie." >> you can just see in her words what a life-transforming event her encounter with harvey weinstein was for her. the level of trauma is spectacular. >> reporter: she would later tweet a bigger bombshell not naming weinstein directly but claiming hw raped me. tuesday, october 10th, 10:50 a.m., a new bombshell report publishes online, this one in "the new yorker," by ronan farrow. >> did you ever imagine when you wrote this article, the fallout. as huge, and as far reaching as it's been? >> the very first interview i did for this story was an on the record actress with an allegation of rape. from that very first moment of reporting this, it was apparent that this was something historic. >> his story raises the bar higher his figures accuse harvey of raping them. in some cases accuse harvey of sexual assault. and that changes the nature of the conversation overnight. >> reporter: weinstein, this time through a spokesperson, issues a statement: "any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by mr. weinstein." >> the ink on his response isn't even dry and the story has blown past his apology. >> reporter: by 7:15 p.m. that night, with his storied career in a spectacular five-day freefall, the chickens have literally come home to roost. that evening his wife georgina announces she is leaving him after ten years of marriage. even his own brother, and partner, bob weinstein castigates him publicly calling him "a very sick man." >> i don't see this as a grand shakespearean fall in the sense that was not someone we placed great love and affection for who fell. he was feared. he was admired. and in some ways it's the kind of thing that only happens in the movies. >> reporter: wednesday, october 11th, weinstein makes his final public comments to reporters in this video, before allegedly heading to a treatment facility: "i'm not doing ok but i'm trying. i gotta get help, guys." >> reporter: but he might need more than rehab. coming up, the possible criminal charges. next. i'll have the langoustine lfor you, sir?i. the original call was for langoustine ravioli. a langoustine is a tiny kind of lobster. a slight shellfish allergy rules that out, plus my wife ordered the langoustine. i will have chicken tenders and tater tots. if you're a ref, you way over-explain things. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance you switch to geico. sir, we don't have tater tots. it's what you do. i will have nachos! 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that it's time to think about jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. and get to the heart of what matters. >> the 50-year-old motion picture industry -- >> reporter: long before there was harvey weinstein, there was louis b. mayer, the powerful studio chief at mgm during hollywood's golden era. >> louis b. mayer, is said to have engaged in -- or attempted to engage in inappropriate activities with a very young judy garland back in the day. >> reporter: and other actresses from shirley temple to marilyn monroe to joan collins all said they were victims of sexual harassment. >> many of the stories that were told about the moguls of the past were whispered, or never were spoken publicly, or were sort of handed from person to person. >> people talk about there being a culture of secrecy -- but secrecy is not silence. i think it's a heroic act to go through something humiliating and share that story with a friend, who might be able to share it in a discreet way also to help the next person who came along. >> reporter: women who have long suffered in silence are now coming forward to share their emotional turmoil. >> i didn't tell anyone. i had shame thinking that a man, a powerful man thought of me in a degrading way, didn't try to get to know me, and just made me feel like trash -- every single time i go to a movie, i see his name on that big screen, it brings me back to and moment when he sexually assaulted me in that bathroom. >> we all make mistakes. >> and what happens now for harvey weinstein? legally, many are waiting for the other shoe to drop. >> reporter: this week police in new york are reviewing allegations and looking for other victims while police in london have launched an investigation. >> worst case for harvey weinstein is that more women come forward now with allegations about sexual abuse or sexual assault that happened and that could mean harvey weinstein goes to trial and potentially goes to prison. >> what will change inside of myself, getting an apology from him, and him doing jail time, like any normal person would get. >> reporter: fade up final scene, the question is will harvey weinstein be just another tawdry milestone for hollywood or a possible breaking point? >> i hope the casting couch will be a thing of the past. >> this is a movement. i don't want the next generation to do this and i don't want this to be swept under the carpet. and it doesn't feel good, and we're better than that. >> the head of amazon studios roy price is on a leave of absence amid allegations of sexual harassment. >> we should point out the board at company said these allegations come as a surprise and any suggestion the board had any knowledge of this conduct they say is false. that is "20/20" for tonight. i'm david muir. >> and i'm elizabeth vargas, have a great night and a great weekend. with only seconds to spare with only seconds to spare new video ft. race t at stanford health care, we can now use a blood sample to detect lung cancer. if we can do that, imagine what we can do for asthma. and if we can stop seizures in epilepsy patients with a small pacemaker for the brain, imagine what we can do for multiple sclerosis, even migraines. if we can use patients' genes to predict heart disease in their families, imagine what we can do for the conditions that affect us all. imagine what we can do for you.