While his movies were taking home trophies at the glamorous South of France fest, chauffeurs and hoteliers say he abused and even punched them during his dangerous reign.
But a former member of the Majestic housekeeping staff who now works at a hotel two blocks away recalls a very different Harvey Weinstein. She didn't know his famous name but reacted immediately when shown a picture. "Oh, he was the ugly one who thought he was God," she says. "I didn't even know who he was, but he was very bossy. Men like George Clooney or Brad Pitt, they were such lovely men and so handsome. But not him. He was a mean pig." One industry professional, speaking anonymously to Le Parisien, echoed that characterization, saying, "He was known in Cannes simply as 'The Pig.' "
Local chauffeur Mickael Chemloul got to know the dual nature of Weinstein's personality all too well. According to the Nice-Matin, a media outlet in neighboring Nice, Chemloul was attacked violently by Weinstein in 2013 and filed suit in 2014. The local prosecutor in Draguigan, France, inexplicably dismissed the case despite the fact that Chemloul had medical records to prove he had been injured, according to the newspaper.