'Get in a tight dress, shake your ass': Kate Beckinsale recalls years of torture from Harvey Weinstein
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Kate Beckinsale revealed she was “punished” by Harvey Weinstein after arriving to a film premiere wearing a suit instead of a dress.
Beckinsale took to social media to share her experience with a controlling and “screaming” Weinstein in the wake of the disgraced Hollywood producer receiving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault.
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The actress told fans she was berated by Weinstein after the Oct. 2001 New York premiere of her film “Serendipity.” Beckinsale, who was only 27 at the time, said Weinstein accused her of “ruining” his premiere by not wearing a tight dress and looking like a “f—king lesbian.”
Beckinsale shared photos of herself from the premiere wearing a white suit and tie along with a lengthy caption detailing the frightening ordeal.
“These photos were taken at the premiere of ‘Serendipity’ on October 5, 2001. We all refused to go because holding a premiere mere weeks after 9/11 with the city still smoking felt like the most insensitive, tone deaf, disrespectful idea possible. But Harvey insisted,” the actress wrote. “We flew into New York and somehow got through it.”
According to Beckinsale, she received an invitation from Weinstein the next day to bring her daughter over for a playdate. Upon her arrival, the star says her toddler was taken away by a nanny, and Beckinsale was ordered not to follow.
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“The minute the door closed he started screaming, ‘You stupid fucking c—t, you c—t, you ruined my premiere.’ I had no idea what he was talking about and started to shake,” Beckinsale wrote. “He said, ‘If I am throwing a red carpet you get in a tight dress, you shake your ass you shake your tits you do not go down it looking like a f—king lesbian you stupid fucking c—t .’”
Beckinsale told Weinstein she didn’t feel as though it was “appropriate” to dress like it was “a bachelor party” while the city was still reeling from the tragedy.
“I don’t care - it’s my f—king premiere and if I want p—sy on the red carpet that’s what I get...” Weinstein allegedly replied. “I managed to get myself and my child out of there and yes, that was one of many experiences I had that there was no recourse for, and falls under no felony. But I was punished for it, and for other instances where I said no to him for years insidiously and seemingly irreversibly.”
In February, Weinstein was convicted on first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. Earlier this week, the 62-year-old producer was sentenced to serve a combined total of 23 years in prison out of a possible 29-year maximum for both convictions. Following his time served, Weinstein will receive five years of supervision and must register as a sex offender.
“Hearing that he has gone to prison for 23 years is a huge relief to me on behalf of all the women he sexually assaulted or raped, and I hope will be a deterrent to that sort of behaviour in this and any other industry,” Beckinsale continued.
Although there has been some form of justice served, the star said there are still many women who have experienced Weinstein’s intimidation and abuse of power, but will not receive their day in court.
“Having said that, the crimes that are not crimes, the inhumane bullying and sick covert abuse for which there is still no recourse no matter who you tell (and I did tell). These too need to go,” she said. “I hope and pray that we as an industry can start to actually outlaw all abuses of power and expose them and eliminate them, for all genders, forever. And Rose (McGowan), brava.”
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