>> narrator:ossip writer, aj benza, heard fr a source that weinstein was having an affair.e, not true." and then he called back and said, "okay, there's something to it, let's try to work this out." >> narrator: although weinstein denies it, benza says they c a deal. he would be paid to supply eilebrity gossip that wein oruld trade with other repterson who dug up dirt im. >> the gossip industry is run on the barter system. if i've got a story about you and you don't want it printed, i you say, "hold il get you something better, and i'll print the other story and save you." that done every day, so what harvey and i were doing was was always done.as already-- it >> narrator: despite the rumors about weinstein at the time,ev benza insists he n heard any sexual harassment allegations. >> i know it sounds ridiculous, but in the 20 years i knew harvey there was never a story about him going after somedy sexually. finding out now all these women are... were in some kind of hell with him, no clue, not at all. ♪ >> narrator: but other reporters in hollywood were still trying to pin

. >> narrator: despite theumors about weinstein at the time, benza insists he never heard any sexualnds ridiculous, but in the 20 years i knew harvey there was never a story about him going after somebody sexually. finding out now all these women are... were in se kind of hell with him, no clue, not at all. ♪ >> narrar: but other reporters in hollywood were still trying to pin down the rumors they'd heard. kim masters, who'd been writing critical stories about miramax,o a meeting with weinstein. >> i met him at the peninsula hotel, for the first time face to face. comes in very aggressiv yelling and screaming, "what have you heard about me?" n and i sort of had th or never thing, and i said, "i've heard you rape women." he did not seem shocked or outred. you would expect a normal person to say, "i'm sorry, what? how dare you"-- and there wasal none of that a >> narrator: in his response to "frontline," weinstein said that he wasn't shocked because he'd already hearthe allegation and it was false. >> i'd heardeally brutal allegations. oswe couldn't write about we couldn't get it on th