Harvey Weinstein Reacts To Salma Hayek's Recent Claims Of Sexual Misconduct
The disgraced movie producer is speaking out against the popular actress.
On Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, Harvey Weinstein responded to the recent allegations made against him by Salma Hayek. In a statement released by his rep, Weinstein denied her claims, including Hayek's account that he'd pressured her into performing a sex scene with another woman for the movie Frida.
"All of the sexual allegations as portrayed by [Hayek] are not accurate and others who witnessed the events have a different account of what transpired," Weinstein's spokesperson told USA Today. The rep noted that Weinstein "regards Salma Hayek as a first-class actress" who he'd supported to be the star of Frida. While he admitted that "there was creative friction" while they'd worked on the 2002 film, he claims that he never pressured Hayek "to do a gratuitous sex scene with a female costar," noting that "he was not there for the filming."
"However, that was part of the story, as Frida Kahlo was bisexual and the more significant sex scene in the movie was choreographed by Ms. Hayek with Geoffrey Rush," Weinstein's rep further added. He also dismissed many of Hayek's other allegations, including her assertion that he'd disliked her character's unibrow because it took away from her sex appeal.
Weinstein's rep concluded, "All of the sexual allegations as portrayed by Salma are not accurate and others who witnessed the events have a different account of what transpired."
As Nicki Swift previously reported, Hayek penned a guest column for The New York Times, accusing Weinstein of making frequent inappropriate demands such as asking to take a shower together. In one instance, she alleged that she'd given in to one of his requests, which was to film a sex scene with a woman.
"He would let me finish the film if I agreed to do a sex scene with another woman," she claimed. When the day came to shoot the scene, Hayek said she had a "panic attack," but it wasn't because of the material. Rather, she explained, it was because "I would be naked with her for Harvey Weinstein."
In her op-ed, Hayek also accused Weinstein of threatening her life. "I will kill you, don't think I can't," he allegedly told her.
Weinstein's come under fire in recent months—ever since his alleged history of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape was exposed by The New York Times and The New Yorker. Since then, dozens of women have come forward with their own disturbing experiences with the Miramax co-founder.