Gwyneth Paltrow played vital role in launching the Harvey Weinstein investigation

Actor hid from Weinstein in her bathroom while on the phone to journalists

Gwyneth Paltrow’s vital role in launching the investigation into disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been revealed.

The actor was “one of the first” people to pass information to journalists at The New York Times and on one occasion even hid from Weinstein when he turned up early at her house for a party she was hosting, unaware that she was already helping the investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct.

According to journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, Paltrow hid in her bathroom and called them, saying: “What do I do? He’s here!”

Paltrow won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1999 after working with Weinstein on Shakespeare in Love. Her crucial role in exposing the allegations against him are detailed in Kantor and Twohey’s book She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement.

Kantor told ABC’s Today show: “She [Paltrow] did play a much more active role than anybody’s ever known. But it was hair-raising for her, because Harvey Weinstein had been such an important influence.”

Twohey added: “Gwyneth Paltrow is one of Harvey’s biggest stars, and he had really kind of presented himself as kind of a godfather to her over the years.

“I think that many people will be surprised to discover that when so many other actresses were reluctant to get on the phone and scared to tell the truth about what they had experienced at his hands, that Gwyneth was actually one of the first people to get on the phone, and that she was determined to help this investigation.”

Although Paltrow didn’t initially go on the record, she later publicly accused Weinstein of sexual harassment.

Weinstein is facing a criminal trial on charges of rape and predatory sexual assault and has pleaded not guilty. He has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

She Said is published today (10 September).