12 famous actors who have publicly praised and thanked Harvey Weinstein, and what they are saying now

Famed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein — under fire for sexual harassment allegations unearthed by the New York Times, spanning decades — also happens to be one of the most praised people in Hollywood.

Weinstein has been thanked about 34 times in Oscar speeches, according to a 2015 Vocativ study — although it's likely the number has risen in the past two years.

Meryl Streep even referred to Weinstein as "God" in her 2012 Golden Globes acceptance speech.

But Streep has since condemned the producer, calling Weinstein's alleged behavior "inappropriate,""disgraceful," and "inexcusable" in a statement released Monday.

But besides Streep, and a handful of other actors who have spoken out, there has been a notable silence in Hollywood. 

"Ladies of Hollywood, your silence is deafening," actress Rose McGowan tweeted on Friday.

The "silence" McGowan is referring to isn't imagined. Many in Hollywood are refusing to comment on the accusations made against the producer, according to an article published by The New York Times Sunday.

The Times reportedly reached out to 40 people in the entertainment industry, from Thursday to Saturday, and nearly every single person declined to speak on the record.

One publicist for an "A-list actress" reportedly told the Times that were wasn't an "upside" for her client to provide a comment, "since she did not have a movie to promote."

Claudia Eller, a Variety editor who spoke to the Times, said she believed that "there is still a lot of fear" when it comes to admonishing the producer, because the question of whether or not Weinstein is "really done" has yet to be answered. 

On Sunday, Weinstein was fired from The Weinstein Company, which he helped found with his brother Bob Weinstein. And since then, a few more voices have spoken out (like Kevin Smith, who said he was "ashamed").

But many have not — yet. Superstars from Jennifer Lawrence to Christoph Waltz have publicly praised Weinstein. Will they now publicly disavow him, as Streep has done?

Here are 12 famous actors who publicly praised and thanked Weinstein:

Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow thanked Weinstein during her acceptance speech for her first Academy Award win in 1999. Paltrow won the award for best actress for her performance in "Shakespeare in Love."

"I would like to thank Harvey Weinstein, and everyone at Miramax films for their undying support of me," Paltrow said.

Gwyneth Paltrow did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Meryl Streep

“I want to thank God: Harvey Weinstein. The punisher. Old Testament, I guess," Streep said while accepting the Golden Globe for her role in "The Iron Lady."

While Weinstein once received high praise from the actress, Streep has since condemned the producer in a statement she released Monday, in which she called the producer's behavior "disgraceful."

"The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar. Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game,” Streep wrote.

Ben Affleck

"Harvey Weinstein, who believed in us, and made this movie," Affleck said nervously while accepting his Oscar for best screenwriting with Matt Damon in 1997. 

The pair one the award for their breakout hit "Good Will Hunting."

Ben Affleck did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.