Friel: I didn’t need help to deal with Amazon sex pest
ANNA Friel has broken her silence about claims she experienced ‘unwanted advances’ from a shamed Amazon boss, saying she didn’t report the incident because she felt strong enough to ‘handle it’ herself.
ex-Amazon studios president Roy Price allegedly behaved inappropriately towards the actress at the edinburgh tV Festival in 2016, prompting her to flee the event.
But Miss Friel, 41, has now said the incident ‘did not damage me enough to comment on’ at the time.
she said: ‘it wasn’t something that was big enough to talk about. i’m a very strong girl, i know how to handle myself, and i didn’t report that story, it was bystanders and onlookers.
‘But i don’t want to add fuel to the story. i am very, very, very much in solidarity with anybody who has been put into a horrific situation, in all areas of life, but it wasn’t something that damaged me enough to give comment to.
‘i’ve got my own way of handling things. i don’t feel i should be pressured. You’ve also got the right not to speak about something.’
Miss Friel told Radio times she had experienced ‘ so many’ instances of abusive behaviour in her career, but it had ‘not had an effect’ on her.
instead, she insisted her experiences had only served to make her ‘very, very strong’.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Price has been accused of sexually harassing isa Hackett, the producer of Amazon show the Man in the High Castle.
Price, who is understood to be a friend of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, was also accused of ignoring actress Rose McGowan’s claims that Weinstein raped her.
the 50-year- old resigned following the allegations last autumn and his fiancee, tV writer Lila Feinberg, called off their November wedding. He has been contacted for comment by the Mail. Miss Friel also said the advice and support she received from older actresses, including dame Maggie smith and dame Judi dench, at the beginning of her career had helped her. ‘they had dinner with me quite a few times, gave me advice, looked after me and called to ask how i was doing. i’ll never, ever forget that kindness. so, i wasn’t really one to mess with.’
‘It did not damage me’