US actress Uma Thurman, who is indelibly linked to Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax studio thanks to her iconic roles in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, has broken her silence about the disgraced Hollywood mogul, accusing him of attacking her and threatening her career.
Dozens of Hollywood women — including Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Beckinsale and Salma Hayek — have accused Weinstein of acts ranging from sexual harassment to rape.
The scandal touched off a deluge of allegations against powerful men in entertainment, politics and the media, forcing many industries to re-examine workplace policies.
Photo: AFP
Thurman, 47, told the New York Times in an interview published on Saturday of two incidents in London that took place after the release of 1994’s Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction.
They followed an episode in Paris during which Thurman said that Weinstein, dressed in a bathrobe, led her into a steam room during a meeting about a script.
In the “attack,” in Weinstein’s suite at London’s Savoy Hotel, “he pushed me down. He tried to shove himself on me. He tried to expose himself. He did all kinds of unpleasant things,” she said.
Thurman said she took a friend with her to confront Weinstein not long after, but his assistants pressured her to meet him alone.
Thurman said she told Weinstein: “If you do what you did to me to other people you will lose your career, your reputation and your family, I promise you.”
Weinstein told the paper that “she very well could have said this.”
Thurman’s friend Ilona Herman, Robert De Niro’s long-time makeup artist, told the Times that the actress came out of that meeting “very disheveled and so upset.”
Herman said Thurman told her that Weinstein had threatened to end her career.
Weinstein “acknowledges making an awkward pass 25 years ago at Ms Thurman in England after misreading her signals, after a flirtatious exchange in Paris, for which he immediately apologized and deeply regrets,” his spokeswoman said in a statement.
“However, her claims about being physically assaulted are untrue... Mr Weinstein is saddened and puzzled as to why Ms Thurman, someone he considers a colleague and a friend, waited 25 years to make these allegations public,” the statement said.
Weinstein is reportedly in treatment for sexual addiction. Until now, he has said all his sexual encounters have been consensual.
His lawyer, Ben Brafman, said that Weinstein was “stunned and saddened.”
Thurman’s comments to the Times “are being carefully examined and investigated before deciding whether any legal action against her would be appropriate,” Brafman said in a statement.
The actress had suggested mistreatment by Weinstein in an Instagram post in November last year when she said: “You don’t deserve a bullet — stay tuned.”
In the Times interview, Thurman also accused director Quentin Tarantino — who has often referred to her as his “muse” — of forcing her to drive an unsafe car during filming of Kill Bill, leading to a serious crash.
In footage posted by the Times, the actress is seen speeding down an unpaved road before crashing into a tree. Thurman is jolted and left dazed for several moments until crew members carry her away.
“I felt this searing pain and thought: ‘Oh my God, I’m never going to walk again,’” she said. “Quentin and I had an enormous fight, and I accused him of trying to kill me.”
Tarantino did not respond to requests by the Times for comment.
Miramax told her at the time that she could see the footage of the crash if she gave up her right to sue, but she declined, Thurman said.
“When they turned on me after the accident,” she said, “I went from being a creative contributor and performer to being like a broken tool.”
Thurman said she has complex feelings about her experiences.
“The complicated feeling I have about Harvey is how bad I feel about all the women that were attacked after I was,” she told the Times. “I am one of the reasons that a young girl would walk into his room alone, the way I did.”
However, fellow actresses were quick to express support for Thurman on social media, with Reese Witherspoon describing her story as “deeply upsetting.”
“Uma Thurman has seen the inside of our industry for 30yrs. I have great respect for her. She is a warrior,” actress Jessica Chastain said.
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