<![CDATA[Gawker: defamer, weinstein woes]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gawker.com.png <![CDATA[Gawker: defamer, weinstein woes]]> http://gawker.com/tag/defamer/weinsteinwoes http://gawker.com/tag/defamer/weinsteinwoes <![CDATA[Jeff Zucker's Wife and Kids Nervous About Harvey Weinstein's 'Runway' Restitution]]> Some days we're so full of love for Harvey Weinstein that our weak, arrhythmic blogger hearts nearly explode. It was one thing last week when he brazenly moved Project Runway to Lifetime, pulling the rug out from a supposedly unwitting NBC. It was another thing entirely on Monday when Harvey rolled the rug up and started whacking NBC boss Jeff Zucker over the head with it:

NBC Universal Chief Executive "Jeff Zucker has been a friend of mine for many years," Weinstein said today at a lunchtime programming presentation hosted by Lifetime Networks at a posh midtown Manhattan restaurant. "Over the next three years, once I finish my servitude of cleaning his house, driving him to work every day, baby-sitting the kids and taking [his wife] Karen shopping, I think we will be friends again. ...

Weinstein declined to comment on [an NBCU lawsuit] Monday, but said, "I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"As I've said before, Jeff Zucker has been one of my best friends for many years," he added. "The show was never going to be renewed for Bravo anyhow. ... We wanted to grow the show; we have the rights to leave."

Good God — Harvey's glorious cutthroat miracles never cease. Never mind his tease (in the same breath!) that he wants to be reincarnated as network playboy Ben Silverman; we worship at the altar of a man who suggests his alleged breach of contract can be remedied through cleaning Jeff Zucker's house. Or by watching his children! As if Harvey wasn't a threat to "accidentally" gulp down a pair of Zucker kids while reaching for M&M's during My Name is Earl. "No problem," he'd respond to the criminal charges. "Georgina and I will crank out a couple new ones for him. Jeff and I go wayyyy back. He'll understand."

]]> http://gawker.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=380062&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[More Fallout For Controversy Magnet Harvey Weinstein As 'Runway' Heads To Lifetime]]> Spring 2008 hasn't been kind to Harvey Weinstein and his little production company. First, his close friend Anthony Minghella passed away (prompting a highly critical piece penned by New York Magazine film critic David Edelstein), then he butted heads with the Marley family over his planned biopic on the reggae singer, and now the portly producer finds himself at the center of NBC and Lifetime's battle for Project Runway. Moments after Lifetime announced their five-year $150 million deal with the Weinstein Co. to take over the helm of Bravo's signature show, Jeff Zucker and his peacocked lawyers immediately responded by suing Harvey and his goons for breach-of-contract. And insiders at NBC aren't keeping mum about their feelings towards the money-hungry Weinstein:

"Harvey hates us passionately, always did...He despises Bravo because he thinks we didn't pay him enough."

As the NY Post reports, Lifetime will be shelling out $1 million per episode to the Weinstein Co for Runway, while Bravo was set to pay only $600K per episode for the next two seasons. And sources say Weinstein had dollar signs in his eyes since Runway's early days: "The situation came to a head after Season 3 when Macy's...dropped its show sponsorship after Weinstein insisted that a representative from Wal-Mart, where he had a DVD deal, appear on the finale." Coupled with Weinstein's alleged resentment towards Zucker and co. for undermining his involvement with the show, the Post blames Harvey's ego and greed for all the animosity. For Weinstein's sake, we certainly hope one of his "five true friends" includes whichever judge is assigned to this case.

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