Harvey Weinstein Speaks Up About Salma Hayek’s Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Him

Harvey Weinstein released a statement refuting Salma Hayek’s claims of sexual harassment during the filming of Frida. Hayek recently came forward about her experience with Weinstein on her New York Times Column on December 12.

Hayek is just one of the many women who have identified themselves as victims of Hollywood magnate Harvey Weinstein this year. Among the A-list names who recently came out as victims in some way by Harvey are Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd, Asia Argento, Cara Delevingne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Heather Graham, Katherine Kendal, Kate Beckinsale, Mira Sorvino, and Rose Mcgowan.

Harvey Weinstein’s spokesperson recently released a statement Wednesday evening claiming that “all sexual allegations portrayed by [Miss Hayek] are not accurate and others who witnessed the events have a different account of what transpired.” Weinstein also sees Hayek as a “first-class actress” and acknowledges that there was a “creative friction” on 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, don’t think I can’t,” Salma Hayek wrote on her New York Times article.
According to Hayek, Weinstein’s alleged sexual advancements stopped, but not his temper. Harvey even rebuked her performance and complained about Frida’s unibrow. Weinstein denied the claim, saying that the original unibrow diverted the audiences’ attention from the performances.

Hayek was so distressed that she didn’t get involved in the post-production. Harvey saw the cut film and said that Frida would only be released in theaters if the movie earned more than 80 points. The movie received an 85, and later earned more than $50 million, six Oscar nominations, and two Oscar wins.

Her story is just one of the many stories of sexual harassment that are coming out of Hollywood today. Several women still fear that naming such big personalities will only bring about potential legal actions and even career repercussions. Some of the names who are accused of sexual harassment are actors Kevin Spacey, Steven Seagal, Ed Westwick, producers Chris Savino and Adam Fields, and Def Jam Records CEO Russell Simmons, who was accused by Keri Claussen Khalighi of coercing her to perform a sex act and eventually forcing his way into her in his New York City apartment in 1991.