- Culture
- 14 Dec 17
The award-winning actress claims that the disgraced movie mogul repeatedly sexually harassed her and once even warned her: "I will kill you, don’t think I can’t.”
In an op-ed article in USA Today, Salma Hayek wrote that Weinstein constantly pestered her for sex and would never take no for an answer.
Salma also claims that she had a nervous breakdown after Weinstein forced a lesbian sex scene into one of her movies, 'Frida'.
Salma wrote that Weinstein told her that he would block the movie from being released if she didn't do it.
She wrote: “It was clear to me he would never let me finish this movie without him having his fantasy one way or another. There was no room for negotiation… I had to say yes."
Hayek said that she “had a nervous breakdown” on the set of 'Frida' while filming the sex scene.
She added: “My body began to shake uncontrollably, my breath was short and I began to cry and cry, unable to stop, as if I were throwing up tears… It was not because I would be naked with another woman. It was because I would be naked with her for Harvey Weinstein.”
Hayek told how she was constantly saying no Weinstein. She wrote: "No to opening the door to him at all hours of the night, hotel after hotel, location after location, where he would show up unexpectedly, including one location where I was doing a movie he wasn’t even involved with.”
She also described how Weinstein once “physically" dragged her out of "the opening gala of the Venice Film Festival… so I could hang out at his private party with him and some women I thought were models but I was told later were high-priced prostitutes”.
Weinstein has now released a statement about the claims. The statement issues via his lawyers states: "Mr. Weinstein regards Salma Hayek as a first-class actress and cast her in several of his movies. He was very proud of her Best Actress Academy Award nomination for Frida and continues to support her work.”
It continues: “Mr. Weinstein does not recall pressuring Salma to do a gratuitous sex scene with a female costar and 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 lawyers also said: “There is a wide canyon between mere allegation and truth, and we are confident that any sober calculation of the facts will prove no legal wrongdoing occurred. Nonetheless, to those offended by Mr. Weinstein’s behavior, he remains deeply apologetic.”