James Toback is the latest filmmaker to be outed as a sexual predator
The Harvey Weinsteins of the world aren't always household names. Frequently, in fact, they're nothing of the sort.
So it is with James Toback, a longtime (and relatively obscure) filmmaker who is now facing allegations of sexual harassment leveled by 38 different women, as a Los Angeles Times investigation reveals. And much like Weinstein, Toback's deplorable behavior has been an open secret for decades.
He was the subject of an extensive feature in a 1989 issue Spy Magazine, which chronicled firsthand accounts from an assortment of (anonymous) women. More recently, his bad behavior was highlighted in four different Gawker stories, published between 2008 and 2012.
Now there's this LA Times feature, in which 31 of the 38 women interviewed opted to speak on the record. It's a long and detailed read, filled with account after account of Toback's vile behavior over the years.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
It's not an easy story to read, and it's not supposed to be. But men especially should set aside the time to take in every word. We can all do better to shut down the gender inequality that's an inescapable aspect of our day-to-day lives, and processing ugly stories like this is an important step in that process.
If there's any silver lining to draw from the Weinstein mess, it's that victims of sexual predators are increasingly finding the courage to come forward and name names. Toback is only the latest figure to be outed in a domino-like series of them that spans multiple industries and fields of work.
It's a sad truth that so many of these stories go back as far as they do -- especially with guys like Toback and Weinstein, where it's literally decades -- but the one-after-another fall that's currently playing out all around us is a hopeful sign for a looming change that actually sticks.
We see you now, James Toback. Who will be next?
Topics Celebrities
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
