There’s more bad news for a batch of alleged sexual predators in Hollywood: The tactics they’ve used to hide their supposed misdeeds are now coming to light.

Two directors recently came forward about their experiences in working with disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. The directors had similar stories about Weinstein and the way in which his former company, Miramax, essentially blacklisted actresses — who have since come forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

“Lord of the Rings” Director Peter Jackson recently told stuff.co.nz he was interested in casting Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd, now two of Weinstein’s dozens of accusers, in his successful franchise. But he was told they were “nightmares” by Miramax.

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“I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998,” Jackson said. “At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us.”

He continued, “I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women — and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list … In hindsight, I realize that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing.”

“Bad Santa” director Terry Zwigoff also said on Twitter he faced similar resistance to casting Mira Sorvino in his R-rated Christmas comedy, which was executive-produced by Harvey Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein.

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Sorvino responded to Jackson’s comments specifically in a tweet; he expressed that she was “heartsick” to have seeming proof that her career was derailed because she had refused a producer’s advances.

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Judd also responded to Jackson’s comments, saying she recalled nearly being cast in “Rings.”

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Weinstein, of course, denied both charges. He claimed he was not in charge of casting for “Rings” or “Bad Santa.”

In a statement through a publicist, Weinstein said the casting process for “Lord of the Rings” was handled by its eventual studio, New Line Cinema — something to which Jackson had a simple response.

“In the 18 months we developed ‘The Lord of the Rings’ at Miramax, we had many casting conversations with Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, and their executives,” Jackson wrote in a response to Weinstein, published in Entertainment Weekly. “The movies changed hands from Miramax to New Line before casting actually got underway — but because we had been warned off Ashley and Mira by Miramax, and we were naïve enough to assume we’d been told the truth, [we] did not raise their names in New Line casting conversations.”

As for the alleged “Bad Santa” casting situation, Weinstein’s lawyer told Entertainment Weekly, “Mr. Weinstein denies speaking with Terry regarding casting. That was a Dimension film [headed by Bob Weinstein], and Harvey had nothing to do with it.”

While it’s true “Bad Santa” was a Dimension film, Harvey Weinstein is still a credited producer on it — and it’s not too much of a stretch to see him having had some influence over casting.

Related: ‘Have We Reached a Dangerous Tipping Point in the #MeToo Movement?’

If these stories are true, there are ramifications far beyond the #MeToo movement. Powerful figures in Hollywood could be puppeteering the industry to reject the hiring of certain people for despicable reasons.

People who have brought up the idea of a conservative blacklist in modern Hollywood have been laughed at for years by those within the industry who have denied such a thing exists. Conservatives themselves have said their politics have held them back in the entertainment industry; yet the idea of a political blacklist has not been taken seriously by many.

If these Weinstein stories are true, it shows how easily such a blacklist could exist. A handful of powerful figures, simply by inserting their influence and spreading lies, could destroy someone’s career in Hollywood.

Related: The Latest Allegations to Emerge Against This Actor Are Quite Serious

No artist should be denied work because he or she’s been victimized — or refused the advances of a producer. No artists should be denied work in an effort to silence them.

A lot must change in Hollywood. It’s time to listen to those who have been silenced for so long and those who have been victimized.

PopZette editor Zachary Leeman can be reached at [email protected]