UPDATE: Harvey Weinstein responded to Hayeks allegations of sexual and verbal abuse in a statement Wednesday.
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, a spokesperson said in the statement. Regarding Hayeks allegation that the producer forced her to do a sex scene in 2002 film Fridato fulfill his own fantasy, the spokesperson said, 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.
According to the statement, Weinstein regards Salma Hayek as a first-class actress though he acknowledges that there was creative friction on the set of Frida.
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ORIGINAL STORY:Salma Hayek wrote an emotionalNew York Timesop-ed about howHarvey Weinsteinmanipulated her before and during the making of 2002 Oscar-winning movie, Frida.
The range of his persuasion tactics went from sweet-talking me to that one time when, in an attack of fury, he said the terrifying words, I will kill you, dont think I cant,' Hayek wrote. In his eyes, I was not an artist. I wasnt even a person. I was a thing: not a nobody, but a body.
Hayek wrote that she declined Weinsteins sexual advances numerous times: no to me taking a shower with him. No to letting him watch me take a shower. No to letting him give me a massage. No to letting a naked friend of his give me a massage. No to letting him give me oral sex. No to my getting naked with another woman. The producer responded with rage and manipulation.
While making Frida, Weinstein gave Hayek an ultimatum: the movie would only get made if she agreed to do a sex scene with another woman. He had been constantly asking for more skin, for more sex, she wrote. But this time, 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.
Harvey would never know how much he hurt me. When I saw him socially, Id smile and try to remember the good things about him, telling myself that I went to war and I won. But why do so many of us, as female artists, have to go to war to tell our stories when we have so much to offer? Why do we have to fight tooth and nail to maintain our dignity?