Hollywood mogul Weinstein accused of rape
LOS ANGELES: Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein ( pix) faced claims on Tuesday he raped an Italian film star and two other women, in a widening scandal that has drawn condemnation from across the film industry.
The women’s allegations against the 65year-old movie mogul were made in an bombshell expose published by The New Yorker on Tuesday.
Weinstein denies all charges, according to a statement from his spokesman Sallie Hofmeister, circulated among US media.
His wife, British fashion designer Georgina Chapman meanwhile told People magazine she was leaving Weinstein, with whom she has two children.
The latest accusations are a hugely damaging escalation of the scandal.
Previous allegations which led to his weekend sacking from The Weinstein Company had so far been limited to complaints about harassment.
The New Yorker writer Ronan Farrow spent 10 months interviewing 13 women who reported they were harassed or assaulted by Weinstein.
The investigation was published as fresh misconduct allegations emerged from Hollywood A-listers such as Angelina Jolie, Rosanna Arquette and Gwyneth Paltrow, as well as foreign stars such as French actress Judith Godreche.
Italian actress Asia Argento, the 42-yearold daughter of iconic horror director Dario Argento, said Weinstein forced oral sex and intercourse on her 20 years ago.
She told the publication she had maintained her silence until now for fear that Weinstein would “crush” her, adding: “I know he has crushed a lot of people before.”
She said Weinstein, who has weighed up to 136kg, terrified her due to his immense size.
“It wouldn’t stop. It was a nightmare,” she added, revealing that she had felt forced to pretend she was enjoying the attack in hopes that it would be over with sooner.
Argento acknowledges that her credibility may be compromised by the fact that she eventually yielded to his advances, even growing close to him and having consensual sex with him multiple times over the following five years. She said she felt “obliged” to submit, however, and worried that he would ruin her career if she rejected him.
Lucia Evans, an aspiring actress, said she met Weinstein at the Miramax office in New York in 2004 and that he forced her to perform oral sex on him. Another woman, who was too afraid to allow her name to be published, told The New Yorker Weinstein brought her to a hotel room and “forced himself on me sexually”.
At a press conference on Tuesday, former actress and screenwriter Louisette Geiss, represented by lawyer Gloria Allred, described how Weinstein invited her to a meeting in a hotel room in 2008 and offered her help with her career if she would see him masturbate. – AFP