Paltrow and Jolie join growing list accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment
Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and other actresses have come forward with their own stories of sexual harassment by film producer Harvey Weinstein.
The New York Times has reported that many other actresses have in recent days added to the chorus of accusations surrounding Weinstein. Paltrow described his attempt to lure her, then a young aspiring actress, into giving him a massage in a hotel room.
The incident prompted her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt to confront Weinstein at a film premiere. Angelina Jolie also said that she had “a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth”. She said that, since then, she had refused to work with him.
Earlier yesterday, the New Yorker published an article that included allegations that Weinstein raped three women.
Actress Asia Argento and a former aspiring actress named Lucia Evans went on the record to allege Weinstein forced himself on them sexually. A third woman spoke anonymously.
Ben Affleck, a longtime collaborator of Harvey Weinstein, tweeted a condemnation of the fallen movie mogul.
Affleck got his big break in Hollywood as a writer and actor in Good Will Hunting, which was produced by Weinstein’s former company, Miramax Films.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Affleck said he was sickened by the news.
The actor said: “I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades. The additional allegations of assault that I read this morning made me sick.” Affleck called Weinstein’s behaviour “completely unacceptable” and said he was trying to figure out what he could do to prevent this from happening to others. He also said Hollywood needed to do a better job of protecting women.
The New Yorker quoted Weinstein representative Sallie Hofmeister saying that “any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein”.