Hollywood actress Kate Beckinsale recently spoke out about the toxic abuse culture she has experienced in Hollywood. In an emotional Instagram video, the 51-year-old actress shared personal stories about harassment and mistreatment throughout her career. She vocally spoke about how women are treated in the entertainment industry, amid a feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Beckinsale began by recounting a painful memory from the past when she was 18 years old. She said a crew member she trusted assaulted her on set. “I was 18 and felt up by somebody that I really trusted on a crew,” she shared. When she told two female colleagues about what happened, their responses were discouraging. One dismissed her story, saying, “No, it didn’t.” The other also denied it, telling her, “No, you haven’t.”
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Kate Beckinsale also shared details about a tragic experience from her life. After suffering a miscarriage, she was told she had to do a photoshoot the very next day. Beckinsale explained how this affected her, both emotionally and physically. “I said, ‘I can’t. I’m bleeding. I don’t want to go and change my clothes in front of people I don’t know and do a photoshoot.’” However, she was told, “You’ll have to, or you’ll be sued.”
Beckinsale spoke about other challenges she faced on movie sets. She described working with a male co-star who often arrived drunk and unprepared. She and the crew had to wait hours for him to learn his lines. This caused her to miss time with her daughter. Instead of addressing the actor’s behavior, the studio gave her a bicycle to pass the time. Worse, she was insulted on set and called names like “stupid bitch.”
The actress also talked about the unhealthy body standards women are forced to meet in Hollywood. On two different films, she was put on extreme diets and exercise routines. As a result, she lost her menstrual periods completely. She said, “I was put on such a strict diet and exercise program — I lost my periods altogether.”
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The actress shared more stories about abuse during action scenes. She said some male actors seem to enjoy hurting women during fight sequences, even when it is part of the script. In her case, she suffered injuries that required medical attention, including MRIs.
Reflecting on her experiences, Beckinsale highlighted how hard it is for women to speak up about abuse. She praised Blake Lively for raising awareness about these ongoing issues. “This is not an old problem,” Beckinsale said. “When it happens, a machine goes into place to destroy you.”
In a caption alongside her video, Beckinsale called for change. She wrote, “Everyone in every industry should be taken seriously and not punished when something bad happens to them at work.” She stressed that this is not just a Hollywood issue but something women face in many workplaces. She also pointed out how social media makes it easy to criticize and hate actresses who speak out.
Beckinsale ended her message by urging the industry to improve. “Complaining about abuse should not lead to more abuse,” she said. “There should be protections in place to keep people safe at work.”