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First Draft: Matthew Weiner

Matthew Weiner was the writer, creator, executive producer, and director of Mad Men. He also worked as a writer and executive producer on The Sopranos, along with several comedy series, and made his feature film debut in 2014. Weiner's novel is called Heather, The Totality.

This interview took place on November 7, 2017.  On November 9, 2017 Weiner was accused of sexual harassment by Kater Gordon, who was once his personal assistant and then a writer on Mad Men.  Gordon told the online news outlet, The Information, that Weiner told her she owed it to him to let him see her naked.  A year later the two won an Emmy for their writing but soon after, Gordon was fired.  Weiner's publicist issued a statement on the issue: "Mr. Weiner spent eight to ten hours a day writing dialogue aloud with Miss Gordon, who started on “Mad Men” as his writers assistant.  He does not remember saying this comment nor does it reflect a comment he would say to any colleague.  During the nine years he was showrunner on Mad Men, Mr. Weiner had a predominantly female driven writers room.  He has long believed in and implemented an egalitarian working environment including the highest levels of production and writing based on mutual respect for all."

Gordon has since left Hollywood and started Modern Alliance with the goal of combing research, technology, media, and entertainment to create a cultural shift to put an end to sexual harassment.

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