UK minister apologises for ‘joke’

Annabella Sciorra claims Weinstein raped her

Los Angeles: ItalianAmerican actor Annabella Sciorra has claimed that disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein raped her in the 1990s, and sexually harassed her for years later.

In a followup report on Weinstein by The New Yorker, the actor, who featured in Miramax’s The Night We Never Met, says she had to receive therapy after the movie mogul forced sexual intercourse on her and subsequently harassed her on numerous occasions afterwards. Sciorra said after a dinner meeting Weinstein forced entry into her apartment and cornered her until she was backed into her bedroom. The actor said she resisted while Weinstein raped her. Sciorra said her body then began to shake violently, almost as if she were “having a seizure,” and Weinstein left.

The 57-year-old actor said she got so scared after the alleged attack that she started sleeping with a baseball bat by her bedside and sought therapy. London: A British minister apologised “unreservedly” on Saturday after making a joke about disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on a live BBC radio show.

Environment secretary Michael Gove drew immediate ire after comparing being interviewed by the programme’s presenter with “going into Harvey Weinstein’s bedroom,” adding “you hope to emerge with your dignity intact”.

Gove, who was facing questions from interviewer John Humphrys in a special edition of BBC Radio 4’s Today show in front of a live audience, swiftly took to social media to say sorry for the remark.

“Apologies for my clumsy attempt at humour on R4 Today this morning — it wasn’t appropriate. I’m sorry and apologise unreservedly,” he said on Twitter.

A former leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Lord Neil Kinnock, who was being interviewed alongside Gove, also faced criticism after joining in the attempted joke.