American Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein has been at the center of controversy lately after 82 women came forward to detail their horrifying stories of sexual assault, rape, and harassment at the hands of the media mogul some decades earlier.
In an investigative piece for The New Yorker, Ronan Farrow revealed that Weinstein hired "an army of spies", which included ex-Mossad agents, in an attempt to silence the victims.
In 2016, Weinstein began hiring a number of private security agencies to compile information on the women and journalists trying to expose him.
One such agency revealed in the report was Black Cube, an enterprise run largely by former officers of Mossad alongside other Israeli intelligence agencies. It claims to have operatives that are "highly experienced and trained in Israel's elite military and governmental intelligence units".
The agency has branches in Tel Aviv, Paris, and London.
American actress and model Rose McGowan was approached by two ex-Mossad agents
Investigators from Black Cube used fake identities to extract information from women and journalists who were trying to expose Weinstein, including American actress and model Rose McGowan.
The officers tried to befriend McGowan in an attempt to gather information on her allegations and "look for ways to discredit her".
Back in May, McGowan was initially approached by a person called "Diana Filip" via email. She claimed to be working on an initiative to combat discrimination against women in the workplace. Filip told McGowan that she would love to collaborate with the actress in that regard.
As it turns out, Filip was an alias for a "former officer in the Israeli Defense Forces" who was working for Black Cube, as revealed by The New Yorker.
Months later, The New Yorker published a piece detailing the allegations against Weinstein.
Farrow, the journalist who ran the story, had sent McGowan photos of the Black Cube agent to see if she'd recognize her.
"Oh my God," she wrote back. "Reuben Capital. Diana Filip. No f**king way".
McGowan eventually spoke up against Weinstein, accusing him of rape.
"I have been silenced for 20 years. I have been slut-shamed, I have been harassed, I have been maligned, and you know what? I am just like you. What happened to me behind the scenes happens to all of us in this society. It cannot stand and will not stand," McGowan said, according to The Guardian.
Ben Wallace, a reporter in New York, was approached too
Ben Wallace, a New York-based reporter, was approached by the same agent who disguised herself as "Anna" when they met.
Wallace had been pursuing a story on the allegations against Weinstein at the time. Farrow also showed Wallace photos of the operative, whom he recognized immediately.
"That’s her," he said, revealing that he was first approached by the agent in October 2016.
"Now this is why journalists are heroes"
"More proof that Weinstein is a vile, evil man who belongs behind bars"
Black Cube declined to comment on its involvement with Weinstein
"It is Black Cube’s policy to never discuss its clients with any third party, and to never confirm or deny any speculation made with regard to the company’s work," the agency said in a statement, according to The New Yorker.
"Black Cube supports the work of many leading law firms around the world, especially in the US, gathering evidence for complex legal processes, involving commercial disputes, among them uncovering negative campaigns ... It should be highlighted that Black Cube applies high moral standards to its work, and operates in full compliance with the law of any jurisdiction in which it operates - strictly following the guidance and legal opinions provided by leading law firms from around the world," the statement read.