L.A. Sex Crimes: Actress Reveals How She Escaped Harvey Weinstein’s Clutches
Photo: One of the questions in the Weinstein scandal is how close was his relationship with Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton.
Award-winning actress Anna Wilding said in an exclusive interview Thursday with WABC Radio Host Rita Cosby that she was once physically “shielded” by two male colleagues from being alone with Hollywood Fat Cat Harvey Weinstein. She says they told Weinstein in front of her, “No, not this one.”
Wilding alleges she was about to go into an elevator alone with Weinstein and then to a private meeting with him, when two male colleagues saw what was happening.
They “came up to me and literally stood between me and Harvey, they literally lodged their way between me and Harvey, and said ‘No Harvey, not Anna’, or ‘No Harvey, not this one’. It was quite extraordinary.” “They spoke to me afterwards directly and they said, ‘Anna, you are not safe to be alone with Harvey,’ and they were very clear with me not to ever be alone with Harvey.”
She further said to Cosby, “You know Harvey had a reputation, everyone used to talk about it. It was well known who did sleep with him and get movie roles. It was well known who… the girls who were complicit, and they star in a lot of his movies, or good supporting roles, or have book deals, and there were those who said no like me, and we were punished for it.”
The actress, director and producer said the memorable incident with Weinstein happened in 1999 at a Miramax party at the famous Cannes Film Festival. She also described the extensive casting couch climate in Hollywood overall and said Weinstein is not alone in this behavior. She says she walked away from her career, “because I said no.” “I think what’s hard to stomach, especially for a few people in my generation who grew up with a culture in Hollywood that was rampantly predatory… we were full of these men who were predators basically.”
She says seeing Ashley Judd speak out about Weinstein gave her “a lot of comfort,” and the courage to do the same. “I think it’s really important that women have stood up this time. I’m really proud of Ashley Judd.”
Wilding is also calling out people who she says helped Weinstein in his behavior. “I think there were people who enabled Harvey. And I think those people should come out. And I think they should realize and admit that they shouldn’t have enabled it… admit their culpability, and they should say next time, we won’t allow this to happen.” WABC Radio Host Rita Cosby Full Interview with Anna Wilding.
ANNA WILDING EXCLUSIVE
journalist Rita Cosby continues to be a friend to Conservative Base and to the Chiefs of Police Association.
0:48 –
“I think what’s hard to stomach, especially for a few people in my generation who grew up with a culture in Hollywood that was rampantly predatory… we were full of these men who were predators basically.”
3:06 –
‘And it was just Harvey (Weinstein) and I alone (at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999)… we were alone at this elevator, and I was about to go up for a meeting with him, and he was saying hello, and literally two colleagues of mine, two male friends, came up to me and literally stood between me and Harvey, they literally lodged their way between me and Harvey, and said ‘No Harvey, not Anna’, or ‘No Harvey, not this one’. It was quite extraordinary.’
3:57 –
“I’m thankful to my two friends”
4:43 –
“They spoke to me afterwards directly and they said, ‘Anna, you are not safe to be alone with Harvey,’ and they were very clear with me not to ever be alone with Harvey.
5:59 –
“You know Harvey had a reputation, everyone used to talk about it. It was well known who did sleep with him and get movie roles. It was well known who… the girls who were complicit, and they star in a lot of his movies, or good supporting roles, or have book deals, and there were those who said no like me, and we were punished for it.”
6:32 –
“There were other men like Harvey too, he was not alone in this. I would say I know at least two to three other very prominent producers and distributors who were very similar to Harvey in the way they behaved. They would say,’look what it did for such and such actress by sleeping with me. You need to sleep with me, and then you’ll get the starring role. If you don’t, you won’t get the starring role.'”
10:13 –
“I think it’s really important that women have stood up this time. I’m really proud of Ashley Judd. I think she was one of the first ones to stand up. That gave me a lot of comfort to stand up. I’ve spent a few days trying to figure out how I was going to do this. I think it’s really important that women do stand up, that we’re allowed to speak, and it’s really important that we get really significant changes in the industry.”
10:46 –
“I think there were people who enabled Harvey. And I think those people should come out. And I think they should realize and admit that they shouldn’t have enabled it… admit their culpability, and they should say, ‘next time, we won’t allow this to happen.’ “
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