A clip showing a New York City Council candidate gagged and in nipple clamps as a dominatrix poured hot wax on him caused an uproar Saturday. But details surrounding the video’s release raise questions that could implicate the alleged victim. The Spectator has discovered the full-length footage of the candidate’s BDSM session posted on an anonymous, now suspended, OnlyFans account.
In the footage, Weiner, 26, is subjected to various forms of humiliation by a dominatrix in leather chaps, who is his ex-girlfriend. The 30-second scene was posted on Twitter last week by an account named ‘@smart_mistress’, the tweet reading, ‘My magnificent domme friend played with Upper West Side city council candidate Zack Weiner, and I’m the only one who has the footage.’ The then-couple filmed the scene at the Parthenon studio, a BDSM dungeon, in Midtown Manhattan. The establishment has been closed since December and has moved locations, the studio’s owner told The Spectator.
According to a Twitter spokesperson, the account was suspended for violating the company’s spam and platform manipulation rules. ‘You can’t mislead others on Twitter by operating fake accounts,’ the statute reads. The account was not suspended for breaking Twitter’s non-consensual nudity policy, however, even though the video may fall within the definition of revenge porn.
The footage received little attention online in the days after its release, and the Twitter account was already suspended by the time Weiner’s campaign manager, Joe Gallagher, notified the New York Post of the video, after which Weiner gave the outlet an exclusive interview. During a phone interview, Weiner and Gallagher claimed they received calls from opponents and locals in their district with concerns about the sadomasochistic session.
‘We wanted to control the narrative. If it was going to get circulated heavier, we did not want people to be like it was some sort of illegal activity,’ Gallagher told The Spectator. Whether this video received widespread attention from locals before the campaign gave it to the New York Post cannot be confirmed. Yet before the incident came to light, the campaign had struggled to gain traction and raise money.
The attention brought about by the video’s release was convenient as Weiner ‘has mostly been a nonentity in the race for the Upper West Side’s 6th District,’ the Post reported. His campaign barely raised more than $10,000, with most of it coming directly from Weiner and Gallagher’s pockets. He has no endorsements on his campaign website, and come Tuesday, Weiner will face off against longtime Democratic incumbent Manhattan borough president Gale Brewer. Some have speculated online that Weiner leaked the tape to raise media attention for his far-fetched election bid.
alright im a zack weiner truther. the guy was a non-factor candidate in a minor race nobody cared about, his own campaign manager contacted the NY Post when the video leaked, and now he's getting all this attention. i kinda think he planted that shit lol https://t.co/iwfgu1UiPP
— noelia (@knowngaslighter) June 20, 2021
Weiner detailed how the scandalous session was shot during his interview with The Spectator, claiming it was his ex-girlfriend’s idea to record it. ‘Normally, I’m not one for filming, but it was something that was a part of her proclivity,’ Weiner, who has a professional background in film production and is the co-founder of New York-based independent film production company, said. ‘She set up a camera — we set up the camera, and I did get the footage as well.’
But later in the interview, Weiner appeared to shift his story by claiming the camera used to film the scene was his and that his then-girlfriend was not involved in the filming process. ‘I used a camera from my apartment,’ Weiner revealed. ‘She wasn’t as much of a camera addict, but she did more of the music.’
When asked if he had orchestrated the video’s release, Weiner told The Spectator, ‘I’ve run a very serious campaign for over a year. This is not how I presented myself; this is not my intention — absolutely not.’
At the time of publication, Weiner told the Post he had no idea how the video got out. But less than 24 hours later, the city council candidate told The Spectator he believes his ex-girlfriend gave it to a fellow dominatrix who then posted it on Twitter and OnlyFans.
‘It’s a sad betrayal of trust by one of her friends,’ Weiner said. ‘But I’m not ashamed about what’s come up, and I think people have been very supportive.’
On June 9, an OnlyFans account with the same username as the anonymous Twitter account posted and sold a three-minute, 26-second video of Weiner’s BDSM session for $20. The user also posted an additional short clip of Weiner on June 13 for free. Less than an hour after The Spectator reached out to the account for comment, OnlyFans suspended the account, seemingly for violating the terms of service.
Weiner does not intend to pursue legal charges against either his ex-girlfriend or the person behind the anonymous account despite the alleged breach of trust.
‘I’m not seeking punitive charges, but I am actively reaching out and wanting an apology and removal of the remainder of the material elsewhere,’ Weiner said. ‘She’s been apologetic…but I’m not seeking punitive action.’
Weiner’s father is Eric Weiner, a co-creator of the popular children’s television show Dora The Explorer. Weiner said his dad did not read the New York Post story, but he talked about the controversy in-depth with him on Father’s Day.
‘I think to an extent they [his family] understand this is just something that will blow over. This is definitely not the perfect optics,’ Weiner added. ‘My brother has been the most frustrated.’
As for his BDSM fetish, Weiner claims his days in sex dungeons are over ever since the pandemic hit New York last year.
‘This is an interest of mine…I’m not ashamed of the activity. I think it’s a fine activity.’
