Catch and Kill

Dylan Howard has “a vindictive streak” (211), Farrow is told. He has a history of sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace, but an internal inquiry found no serious wrongdoing. Women who complain about Howard’s behavior are assigned menial tasks as punishment. Howard is enraged by Farrow’s story about his catch and kill policies and vows to exact revenge against the journalist. Soon, the National Enquirer publishes a slew of salacious, gossipy stories about Farrow. He ignores the slander and continues to report.

The media becomes more interested in AMI, and a series of reports begins to uncover the company’s nefarious methods. The FBI raids the office of Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. Cohen worked closely with Howard to kill numerous stories. AMI denies Farrow’s accusations, but when they are questioned by the authorities the executives admit to everything. They caught and killed numerous Trump stories before, during, and after his Presidential campaign. Eventually AMI and its assets such as the National Enquirer are sold for a fraction of their former worth.

Harvey Weinstein finds himself in increasing legal jeopardy. The list of women accusing him of sexual harassment or violence grows to more than 80.