Toback’s Anatomy lesson
Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo did not take kindly to an inappropriate comment by disgraced film-maker James Toback early in her career – in fact, the actress says she told him to ‘‘go f... himself’’.
The Two Girls and a Guy director, 72, has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by more than 200 women, including Selma Blair, Rachel McAdams and Julianne Moore.
Pompeo, 47, told USA Today about her own uncomfortable encounter with the accused sexual predator.
‘‘I actually did have a situation with James Toback where I kind of told him to go f... himself,’’ she recalled.
Pompeo said she met Toback in a public space, and brought along a male friend – a move that appeared to anger Toback.
‘‘He didn’t like that at all, and I could tell that. I could instantly tell he was like, no good,’’ she said.
The actress added that as soon as her friend left her alone with Toback, the director pounced.
‘‘The minute my friend left, he asked me if I would get naked in a movie. And I was like, ‘Really, dude? My friend has been missing all of 30 seconds and now you say that?’ I kind of laughed in his face,’’ she said.
The accusations against Toback – which he has denied – came after similar allegations were levelled against famed producer Harvey Weinstein.
Pompeo said she did meet with Weinstein once but things stayed professional.
‘‘I met with Harvey at the Peninsula and he didn’t try anything on me. I was very lucky. I escaped those clutches,’’ she said.
The actresses’ Grey’s Anatomy co-star Caterina Scorsone came forward with her own allegations against Toback last week.
Scorsone claimed that the director made unwanted sexual advances towards her during an audition when she was 17.