Advertisement

Harvey Weinstein Responds To Angelina Jolie's 'Assault' Claims

Photo credit: Anthony Harvey - Getty Images
Photo credit: Anthony Harvey - Getty Images

Disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein has responded to Angelina Jolie’s claims that he attempted to sexually assault her, describing her comments as ‘clickbait publicity.'

On Saturday the 69-year-old told TMZ, via his assistant, that ‘there was never an assault, and never an attempt to assault’ Jolie.

‘It is brazenly untrue and clickbait publicity,' Weinstein’s assistant added, on his behalf, adding: 'You're Angelina Jolie, every male and female in the world, I'm sure, shows interest in you. Is the whole world assaulting you?'

Jolie recently elaborated on comments she made in an email to the New York Times in 2017, in which she wrote about a ‘bad experience’ with the producer, with the Guardian.

'I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did. This behaviour towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable,' she wrote at the time.

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

In her new interview with the Guardian, the mother-of-six expanded on her comments, noting: ‘If you get yourself out of the room, you think he attempted but didn't, right? The truth is that the attempt and the experience of the attempt is an assault.

When asked whether his behaviour equated to an ‘abuse of rights’, Jolie added: ‘It was beyond a pass, it was something I had to escape.'

'I stayed away and warned people about him. I remember telling Jonny [Lee Miller], my first husband, who was great about it, to spread the word to other guys — don't let girls go alone with him,' she recalled.

On turning down a role in The Aviator, she added: 'I said no because he was involved. I never associated or worked with him again. It was hard for me when Brad [Pitt] did.'

Photo credit: Jason Merritt/TERM - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jason Merritt/TERM - Getty Images

Over the years Pitt – who is currently in a custody battle with his ex-wife – has worked on two Weinstein projects – Inglourious Basterds and Killing Them Softly. 'We fought about it. Of course it hurt,' Jolie said about Pitt's involvement with the producer.

Jolie's comments come years after Gwyneth Paltrow, who was previously engaged to Pitt in the 1990s, said that she was 'petrified' when Weinstein allegedly put his hands on her.

‘I told [Pitt] right away and I was very shaken by the whole thing,’ Paltrow said of the incident to the New York Times in 2017. Pitt later confronted Weinstein on the matter. ‘It was like the equivalent of throwing him against the wall, energetically,’ Paltrow recalled of her ex's actions.

‘It was so fantastic. He leveraged his fame and power to protect me at a time when I didn’t have fame or power yet. He said, “If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I’ll kill you,” or something like that.’

Photo credit: Kevin.Mazur/INACTIVE - Getty Images
Photo credit: Kevin.Mazur/INACTIVE - Getty Images

Pitt has since spoken about the conversation he had with Weinstein following the incident, noting in an interview with CNN: ‘At that moment, I was just a boy from the Ozarks on the playground and that's how we confronted with things.

‘I just wanted to make sure nothing was going to happen further, because she [Paltrow] was going to do two films. I think the interesting thing is that we, Hollywood specifically, but the workplace, men and women's dynamics is being recalibrated, recalibrated in a very good way that is long overdue. And I do think that's an important story to tell.’

In February 2020 Weinstein was convicted in New York City and sentenced to 23 years in prison for a first-degree criminal sexual act and a third-degree rape. In April this year, his lawyers launched an appeal against his conviction.

Photo credit: ETIENNE LAURENT - Getty Images
Photo credit: ETIENNE LAURENT - Getty Images

Weinstein currently faces criminal charges, for rape and sexual assault, in Los Angeles. In July 2021, Weinstein pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges in a Los Angeles court and said any sexual activity was consensual.

In recent years more 80 women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.

Prior to Weinstein's convictions a spokesperson for the film mogul previously told the New York Times: 'Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein. Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances.’

You Might Also Like