Harvey Weinstein is a big fan of fake news spreader Candace Owens – she calls him innocent, he sees in her a ‘superstar’

Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein has been gushing over right-wing commentator Candace Owens from his prison cell at Rikers Island.

Weinstein is currently awaiting a retrial on sexual misconduct charges while also trying to appeal his California conviction. From the confines of “deplorable and inhumane” Rikers Island, Weinstein has been busy crafting a public narrative. Part of that narrative? Cozying up to Owens, who has been publicly arguing his innocence. If you’re unfamiliar with Owens, she’s known for her hot takes that often straddle the line between provocative and downright offensive. 

She’s been named “Antisemite of the Year,” and has made a career out of being a vocal critic of progressive movements like #MeToo. So, naturally, she’s come to Weinstein’s defense. The disgraced mogul, for his part, seems genuinely smitten with Owens. He’s praised her as “tough and tenacious” and even called her a “superstar.”

Speaking to reporters by phone, Weinstein claims that when Owens first approached him, he tried to dissuade her from defending him, but now he’s fully on board. Of course, he is. When you’re a disgraced former power player, any ally — no matter how controversial — is better than none. Their friendship makes perfect sense if you think about it. He gets someone to call him “innocent,” and she gets to polish her contrarian crown by taking the one position guaranteed to make reasonable people choke on their coffee.

The legal community seems far less interested in Weinstein’s newfound friendship with Owens than in the evidence that will emerge at his upcoming retrial. Gloria Allred, who has represented multiple Weinstein accusers, pointed out that the real issue at hand isn’t who Weinstein is aligning himself with outside the courtroom but the evidence that will be presented during the trial. Of particular interest is whether Weinstein will choose to testify, which would open him up to what is bound to be intense cross-examination by the prosecution.

“I think that what really matters at this point is the evidence that will be admitted in his next criminal trial… My guess is that the only evidence that may be ‘explosive’ would be his testimony if Mr. Weinstein decided to testify under oath and subjected himself to cross examination by the prosecution.”

Meanwhile, in between court appearances, Weinstein has apparently rekindled his love of literature, claiming to have read hundreds of books while incarcerated, including revisiting his high school curriculum with classics like The Catcher in the Rye and A Farewell to Arms. Despite everything, Weinstein still believes he has “a couple movies left in me,” displaying the kind of delusional optimism that could only come from someone who spent decades believing his own hype. If Hollywood wants nothing to do with him, he claims he’d be content just spending time with his children. At least Owens is there for him when the chips — and teeth — are down.