Three women accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of forcing them into sexual acts in an expose published Tuesday -- accusations that the Hollywood giant denied in a statement through one of his representatives.
The allegations came to light just days after The New York Times detailed complaints of sexual harassment spanning decades against the Miramax co-founder. Weinstein acknowledged the accusations in a statement to the newspaper last week and vowed to "deal with this issue head on."
In a report published Tuesday by The New Yorker, former aspiring actress Lucia Evans, Italian actress Asia Argento and a woman who was not identified told the magazine that they were forced into sexual acts with Weinstein. Evans told the magazine that she was assaulted by Weinstein in 2004, while Argento said she was assaulted in 1997. The New Yorker did not say when the third alleged attack took place.
In a statement issued to The New Yorker, a spokeswoman for Weinstein, Sallie Hofmeister, denied the accusations.
“Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein,” she said. “Mr. Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual. Mr. Weinstein has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path. Mr. Weinstein is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance.”
Actresses Mira Sorvino and Rosanna Arquette told The New Yorker that they suspected that Weinstein kept them from working in Hollywood after they rejected his advances. Hofmeister denied the allegation.
Four women, including Filipina-Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, told The New Yorker that Weinstein touched them inappropriately in a way that could be construed as assault.
Guitierrez said she went to the New York Police Department after Weinstein groped her in 2015, according to The New Yorker. He admitted to grabbing her without consent in an audio recording taken by the model for police, but no charges were filed against Weinstein.
Weinstein was ousted from his position with The Weinstein Company on Sunday amid fallout from the sexual harassment allegations uncovered by The New York Times. Multiple celebrities have come out in support of Weinstein’s accusers in the wake of the report.
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