Gerry Rich Recalls Liam Neeson and Harvey Weinstein Going ‘Chest to Chest’ in Heated Showdown: ‘You Don’t Want to Fight Me’

Return to HomepageEntertainment: Nathan Fielder's 'masterpiece'Tributes to RJ MitteShane Gillis 'SNL' backlashHarry, Meghan and the holidaysElizabeth HolmesChastain’s creepy smileCelebs making literature chicKelly Clarkson's shop fight'Social Reckoning' flopsGillis on 'SNL'Gerry Rich; Liam Neeson; Harvey WeinsteinCredit: Frazer Harrison/Getty; Jeff Spicer/Getty; Steven Hirsch-Pool/GettyNEED TO KNOWMarketing veteran Gerry Rich detailed a clash that allegedly erupted between Harvey Weinstein and Liam Neeson in his new book

The fight occurred after Weinstein secretly recut Neeson's 1993 film Ethan Frome, according to Rich

Neeson was a producer on the drama, while director John Madden was also unaware of the changes

Marketing veteran Gerry Rich found himself playing referee when a disagreement between Liam Neeson and Harvey Weinstein nearly turned into a fistfight.

In his new book, Chasing Hollywood: A Marketing Chief's Lessons on Breaking Through, the former Miramax executive recounts the explosive confrontation that erupted after Weinstein, 74, allegedly secretly recut Ethan Frome, the 1993 romantic drama starring Neeson, also 74, without the actor's knowledge.

Set in a small New England town, the film follows Ethan Frome (Neeson), a struggling farmer trapped in an unhappy marriage, whose life changes when he develops feelings for Mattie Silver (Patricia Arquette), the young cousin of his ailing wife, Zeena (Joan Allen).

Gerry Rich speaks during the 2023 Pioneer Of The Year: A Celebration of Erik Lomis on Oct. 4, 2023Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty

At the time, Neeson was not only the film's star but also a producer, making Weinstein's decision to re-edit the movie without consulting him especially contentious, according to Rich. The author also wrote that the film's director, John Madden, was also unaware of the changes.

The confrontation took place at an allegedly secret test screening that the disgraced producer had arranged to gather audience feedback before telling Neeson and Madden, 77, about the new cut. But when the screening ended, Neeson quickly made it clear he wasn't happy with what he had seen.

Rich wrote that Neeson stood up and stormed to the front of the theater, declaring, "What you just saw was not my movie."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

When Neeson spotted Weinstein, he pointed at the producer and accused him of ruining the film.

"That man butchered my movie," Neeson said, per Rich. "I didn't butcher anything," Weinstein responded from the back of the room. "I saved your movie. You should be thanking me."

Harvey Weinstein attends a status conference to work out details of his retrial on March 4, 2026Credit: Curtis Means-Pool/Getty

The exchange escalated as Neeson walked toward Weinstein, with both men shouting at each other, Rich wrote. Rich, who had been accompanying Weinstein that evening, stepped in as the confrontation moved into the theater's vestibule.

Once the two men were face-to-face, the argument took an even more heated turn. "You don't want to do this, Harvey!" Rich recalled Neeson shouting, and Weinstein responding, "I do what I want. I'm a millionaire!"

Rich wrote that Neeson responded, "I'm a millionaire too. What does that matter? You don't want to fight me," before Weinstein allegedly went "chest to chest" with him and said, "Let's go."

Rich wrote that the men were on the verge of coming to blows, leaving him to physically intervene.

"I felt like a teacher on a playground, rushing in to physically break these boys up before it turned into a full-blown fistfight," he recalled. "Only these weren't kids; they were raging, imposing, six-foot-plus men who could have crushed me."

Liam Neeson attends the 2023 Spirit Of Ireland Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on Nov. 17, 2023Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty

Neeson, who had been an Irish boxing champion in his teens before turning to acting, eventually turned and stormed out.

For Rich, the episode was another example of Weinstein's increasingly difficult relationship with the filmmakers whose movies Miramax distributed.

According to Rich, Weinstein had a habit of repeatedly revisiting his films in the editing room, sometimes cutting individual frames in an effort to make them as tight as possible. While Weinstein believed he was improving the movies, the practice frequently frustrated filmmakers, per Rich.

"He would go through them over and over in this fanatical way, sometimes cutting individual frames in his desire to make sure they were as tight as possible, without one wasted second of screen time," Rich wrote.

Rich recalled that Weinstein decided to apologize to Neeson in his own fashion: by sending flowers. He also agreed to release the previous cut of Ethan Frome and eventually smoothed things over with Madden.

Weinstein stepped down from Miramax in 2005 and went on to found The Weinstein Company before being fired in 2017 following sexual abuse allegations. Weinstein is currently serving a criminal sentence for his 2022 convictions for sex crime charges in California. He was separately convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York in 2020, but those convictions were overturned in April 2024.

In June 2025, he was convicted of one count of criminal sexual act, which Weinstein sought to appeal, but the appeal was recently denied in January.

Reps for Weinstein and Neeson have not yet replied to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Chasing Hollywood: A Marketing Chief's Lessons on Breaking Through is on bookshelves now.