Hindustan Times (Patna) - Hindustan Times (Patna) - Live
LUPITA SPEAKS OUT ABOUT WEINSTEIN
Movie producer Harvey Weinstein, beset by sexual harassment accusations following a recent New York Times exposé, has responded to an account on the same lines from Lupita Nyong’o.
In a piece titled ‘Speaking Out About Harvey Weinstein’, published by NYT, the Oscarwinning actor wrote how, as a student at the Yale School of Drama, she met Weinstein and soon afterwards was invited to a private screening at Weinstein’s home. While in the house, Weinstein — according to the write-up — took her aside on the pretext of showing her something, and then got her into his bedroom, where he wanted to give her a massage. Feeling unsafe, Nyong’o offered to give him a massage instead, so that she could have some control over the situation. After some time, Weinstein wanted to take his trousers off, at which point Nyong’o managed to somehow get out of the room. Weinstein has responded to this, saying he has a “different recollection of the events”. Following the publication of the NYT essay by Nyong’o, his representative issued a statement: “Mr Weinstein has a different recollection of the events, but believes Lupita is a brilliant actress and a major force for the industry. Last year, she sent a personal invitation to Mr. Weinstein to see her in her Broadway show ‘Eclipsed.’”
According to the essay, after that massage incident at the house, a few months later, the two met again and Weinstein allegedly propositioned her at a restaurant, an offer she declined, which quickly ended the meeting.
Nyong’o did not see him until the premiere of 12 Years A Slave, the film that got her an Oscar. Weinstein then apologised for past behaviours. “I said thank you and left it at that. But I made a quiet promise to myself to never ever work with Harvey Weinstein,” she wrote.
Weinstein is being investigated by police in the US and UK over sexual assault claims, as more women have been coming forward with their stories.