Harvey Weinstein angrily responds to Salma Hayek over lesbian sex scene allegations
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 01: Actress Salma Hayek Pinault, wearing Gucci, attends the 2014 LACMA Art + Film Gala honoring Barbara Kruger and Quentin Tarantino presented by Gucci at LACMA on November 1, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for LACMA)
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has angrily responded to allegations from actress Salma Hayek that he forced her to film an explicit lesbian sex scene to sexually humiliate her.
Ms Hayek, who was nominated for an Oscar for her iconic portrayal of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo on 2002 film Frida, spoke out yesterday about her shocking experiences of working with Weinstein – who has faced dozens of allegations of sexual assault and harassment from women in Hollywood over the past few months.
The actress and filmmaker alleged that she fended off a number of sexual advances from Weinstein – who attempted to get her to take a shower with him, perform oral sex, and get naked with another woman.
After her relationship with Weinstein turned sour, the actress alleges that he shut down production on her film – and forced her to agree to add a lesbian sex scene.
But Weinstein – who has remained silent for months amid a string of allegations of sexual assault – released a statement today to deny some of Hayek’s allegations.
Salma Hayek (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
He did not respond to claims that he made inappropriate advances towards her, nor her claims about his threatening behaviour.
But the statement issued to Deadline says: “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.”
The statement appears to be an attempt to conflate two separate sex scenes – one of which Ms Hayek was a willing participant in, and another which was coercively added to filming by Weinstein under threat of terminating the production.
Salma Hayek (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
Writing in the New York Times yesterday, the actress alleged that he used her passion project to manipulate her.
Hayek revealed: “He told me he was going to shut down the film because no one would want to see me in that role.”
Ms Hayek added: “He offered me one option to continue. He would let me finish the film if I agreed to do a sex scene with another woman. And he demanded full-frontal nudity.
“He had been constantly asking for more skin, for more sex…. 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.”
Salma Hayek (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
She added: “I had to say yes. By now so many years of my life had gone into this film.
“We were about five weeks into shooting, and I had convinced so many talented people to participate. How could I let their magnificent work go to waste?
“I had asked for so many favors, I felt an immense pressure to deliver and a deep sense of gratitude for all those who did believe in me and followed me into this madness. So I agreed to do the senseless scene.”
The actress continued: “I arrived on the set the day we were to shoot the scene that I believed would save the movie.
“And for the first and last time in my career, I had a nervous breakdown: 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.
“Since those around me had no knowledge of my history of Harvey, they were very surprised by my struggle that morning. It was not because I would be naked with another woman. It was because I would be naked with her for Harvey Weinstein. But I could not tell them then.”
Salma Hayek (Photo by Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
She added: “My mind understood that I had to do it, but my body wouldn’t stop crying and convulsing.
“At that point, I started throwing up while a set frozen still waited to shoot. I had to take a tranquilizer, which eventually stopped the crying but made the vomiting worse. As you can imagine, this was not sexy, but it was the only way I could get through the scene.”
Ms Hayek continued: “By the time the filming of the movie was over, I was so emotionally distraught that I had to distance myself [completely].”
Actress and model Cara Delevingne previously opened up about her shocking homophobic encounters with Weinstein.
Cara Delevingne (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Delevingne revealed the disgraced film mogul told her she would have no future in Hollywood if she is open about her sexuality and relationships with other women.
Writing on Instagram, she said: “When I first started to work as an actress, i was working on a film and I received a call from Harvey Weinstein asking if I had slept with any of the women I was seen out with in the media.
“It was a very odd and uncomfortable call…. I answered none of his questions and hurried off the phone but before I hung up, he said to me that If I was gay or decided to be with a woman especially in public that I’d never get the role of a straight woman or make it as an actress in Hollywood.”
Of a meeting with Weinstein, she said: “When I arrived I was relieved to find another woman in his room and thought immediately I was safe. He asked us to kiss and she began some sort of advances upon his direction.
“I was terrified that this sort of thing had happened to so many women I know but no one had said anything because of fear.”
