Long-time Hollywood manager and producer David Guillod’s abrupt ouster as co-CEO of Primary Wave Entertainment started with a blog post that “Ted” actress Jessica Barth wrote for TheWrap eight days ago in which she invited sexual assault survivors to send her the names of their assailants.
When two people emailed her the same name, Barth offered to introduce them, so they could come forward together. One of the first emails she received contained a name she new very well: David Guillod.
In 2012, she had gone to the LAPD to report that Guillod, who was then her manager, had drugged and sexually assaulted her. She didn’t pursue the case, she said, because Guillod threatened to sue her if she did.
So she waited. For five years.
When the flood of stories about disgraced indie mogul Harvey Weinstein began last month, Barth was one of the women who came forward to say he had harassed her. (Her friend Seth MacFarlane, creator of “Family Guy” and director of “Ted,” has said his 2013 Oscar nominations joke about Weinstein was inspired by Weinstein’s treatment of Barth.)
She said she realized that one of the reasons survivors don’t report abuse is that they are afraid of being the sole accuser.
So she created the hashtag #WhoIsYourHarvey and registered an email account. She wrote about #WhoIsYourHarvey in this blog post at TheWrap, in which she also described the 2012 dinner, without naming Guillod by name.
Then she waited, again.
But not as long this time.
Pretty soon, an email appeared in her inbox with the subject line “David Guillod.”
The woman who had sent it said she recognized Guillod by the behavior Barth described in her post, even though Barth hadn’t identified him by name.
The woman has declined to come forward or be identified. But talking with her inspired Barth to go back to the police. And to speak out about it.
She came forward, alone.
Guillod is a big deal. His company, Primary Wave Entertainment, represents clients including Gina Rodriguez, Gabrielle Union and Emilio Estevez. He also executive produced last summer’s Charlize Theron hit “Atomic Blonde.”
His attorney said the 2012 case had been fully investigated by the LAPD, and that other witness accounts contradicted Barth’s. Barth said that wasn’t true. Guillod did not respond to questions from TheWrap about whether he had threatened to sue her to stop her from pursuing the case in 2012.
On Friday, Guillod announced he was taking a leave of absence from Primary Wave Entertainment.
On Saturday, he resigned.
A person familiar with the situation told TheWrap the executive team wanted him out, and that he agreed it was for the best for the company.
“If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Your voice matters. You are the evidence. You are enough. His resignation is another step on the path leading to justice,” Barth told TheWrap. “Continue to speak your truth. This is just the beginning.”
She is still inviting survivors to reach out to her, at WhoIsYourHarvey@gmail.com.