If a man is accused of sexual misconduct but hasn’t been convicted, and in many cases hasn’t even been charged, where does he go? The answer probably includes a pool, five fireplaces, yoga, acupuncture, and an oceanfront view.
By way of a quick refresher, it’s been almost a year since the first reports of Harvey Weinstein’s alleged history of rampant sexual abuse were published in The New York Times and The New Yorker. In the time since, a cultural levee has broken and men from all industries have been outed for harmful behaviors towards people of all genders.
But after making headlines and (mostly) losing their jobs, what does life look like for these guys? Is it as satisfyingly miserable as one might want?
Short answer: no. In fact, while hiding out from the public eye, many powerful men who have been accused of and publicly shamed over bad behavior are living in luxury at their multi-million dollar waterfront mansions.
Let’s step inside these cushy retreats from the critical spotlight, shall we?
Where is Harvey Weinstein?
Harvey Weinstein, who was arrested and charged with rape in May and then released on $1 million bail, has been accused of sexual misconduct by upwards of 80 women. While his attempts at making a public comeback have been minimal (right after the allegations went public, Weinstein was hopeful he’d be given 'a second chance,' a long shot considering how soon bankruptcy would come for his company), he’s keeping himself busy-ish.
Weinstein has been in and out of treatment for sex addiction, anger management, and 'several addiction-related behaviors,' per a Weinstein representative, most significantly a $58,000 sex addiction program at The Gentle Path at the Meadows near Scottsdale, Arizona. (The same brand of facility that Tiger Woods allegedly checked into following his admitted infidelity to his wife, Elin, in 2010.) Reports surfaced back in March that Weinstein had not completed his 45-day program, but a rep for Weinstein told Vanity Fair that he had simply finished his treatment 'early.' Okay.
It's worth noting that, while these facilities are well-respected for their treatment of addiction and psychological trauma, the setup is still pretty nice. There is access to a pool, mindfulness practices, and acupuncture, not to mention beautiful views and green pastures.
Weinstein has been spotted of late, though, in Connecticut, where he is living in his $16 million mansion in Westport (with five acres, eight bedrooms and a pool, of course). Though Weinstein sold the house in February, the terms of the sale are such that he can shack up there until next February.
Residents of the town say that they’ve spotted him often, particularly at a local deli called Calise’s. 'He’s very friendly,' one staff member at the market told The Hour. “He reads the newspaper and eats cookies.” TMZ also reported that Weinstein has been spotted watching films at The Bow Tie Ultimate Royale theatre in nearby Norwalk, where he took in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Mission Impossible: Fallout. Once a movie buff, always a movie buff? Whatever.
Where is Matt Lauer?
On the other side of the planet, Matt Lauer has been going through some difficult times—at least according to Matt Lauer in his interview with—who else?—Radio New Zealand. Why is Matt Lauer, the former Today anchor who was fired in November 2017 for alleged sexual misconduct, doing interviews with Radio New Zealand? Well, because the New Zealand government is bumming him out by requesting greater public access to his $9 million, 16,000-acre ranch in Hunter Valley Station to get to a public conservation park.
'I don’t think I’m being a conspiracy theorist here, or paranoid, but I believe the groups are in some ways, unfortunately, taking advantage of some difficult times I’ve been through over the past six months and I think they see me as an easy mark,' Lauer said. 'Difficult times,' 'taking advantage,'—hmmm. Are we talking about Lauer here or the women he allegedly harassed?
His sprawling New Zealand estate includes lakefront access to not one but two lakes and 'vast areas of native forest for hunting and valleys and streams to explore,' according to Sotheby’s International Realty. Lauer’s New York City apartment just sold for 'above its $7.35 million asking price' so at least he won’t go hungry while his property battle wages on.
Where is Les Moonves?
Most recently, Les Moonves—the current CEO of CBS—has been allowed to stay in his role while under investigation by the CBS Board after he was accused by six women of harassment. So, the answer is, still in his swanky office in Midtown Manhattan, where, according to The New York Times, Moonves earns a yearly pay of $69.3 million.
Where is Charlie Rose?
Tragically, probably not at his favorite lunch spot. After being accused of harassment by dozens of women over a time period of 30-plus years, former PBS TV host and CBS anchor Charlie Rose was let go from both networks in late 2017.
Rose was accused of making 'lewd phone calls, walking around naked in [female employees’] presence, or groping their breasts, buttocks or genital areas.' Since the allegations surfaced, Rose has found it difficult to step foot in his local New York City haunts, the Hollywood Reporter found. 'After a string of appearances in the gossip pages while attempting to patronize his regular Manhattan watering holes, Rose decamped to his four-bedroom, 5,500-square-foot Long Island home in Bellport.' Sad!
Reports say that he stayed through March—allegedly having his housekeeper pick up his food in town (ordering delivery, so gauche) and playing tennis daily—though inevitably returned to his beloved New York City. Rose was spotted dining in Midtown on July 27, a long three months after he was sued for sexual harassment by three women.
His lawyers had claimed that Rose was not well enough to respond to the suit just yet because Rose had had abdominal surgery on July 17. Well, look who’s feeling better!
What about everyone else?
As for Mario Batali (alleged sexual assault), Al Franken (groping), Bill O’Reilly (sexual harassment), we’ll find out sooner than you think—comebacks are apparently in the works for all of them.
Meanwhile, you can find R. Kelly (who allegedly has held young girls captive in a 'sex cult' for years) on stage near you—for real. The singer will be performing at Madison Square Garden’s 5,600-person-capacity Hulu Theater on September 15. For some reason, thousands of tickets appear to still be available.
And then there is, of course, disgraced comedian Louis C.K., who admitted to having masturbated in front of female comedians. Actress Chloe Grace Moretz, who worked with Louis C.K. on his feature film, I Love You, Daddy, told The New York Times that she hopes that the movie will just go away.
But will C.K. himself go away? While he hasn’t been heard from much lately, that doesn’t mean he’s fallen out of the public’s imagination. Comedy club owners anticipate that he’ll be back within the year, 'making fun of his mistakes'—in fact, according to The New York Times, he did a surprise set at the Comedy Cellar in New York City on Sunday night—and a source spotted him recently on Shelter Island.
The comedian owns a home there, the same one that Babe Ruth used to summer in. Built in 1901, the so-called 'Primrose Cottage' is 4,957 square feet, and has six bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and five fireplaces. 'It’s on 2 acres, with plenty of room for tennis courts and a pool,' The New York Post reported at the time of the $2.49 million sale in 2014.
In the same way that there has been no one-size-fits-all method for unearthing the perpetrators of sexual misconduct, there is also no one-size-fits-all solution for what to do with them once those stories emerge. The era we live in is unprecedented and new, and many are still working out what are the best next steps for retribution, recovery, and progress.
But that doesn’t mean it isn’t bittersweet that the men who are accused of, sometimes admit to, sometimes charged and out on bail while being prosecuted over, alleged reprehensible behavior get to then retreat to their waterfront mansions and spend their lavish severance packages, while their victims are left often with sidetracked careers, public retribution, and even worse, occasional regret.
Purgatory for bad men, as it turns out, is actually kind of sweet. Want to plot your own mea culpa and comeback? Take it from these guys and make sure you’ve got a clean pool and manicured lawn first.
![new york, new york may 06 lana del rey attends the 2024 met gala celebrating sleeping beauties reawakening fashion at the metropolitan museum of art on may 06, 2024 in new york city photo by dimitrios kambourisgetty images for the met museumvogue](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/lana-del-rey-met-gala-2024-6639708a31095.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.668xh;0,0.0545xh&resize=360:* "The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" - Arrivals")
