Lupita Nyong'o Writes About Alleged Sexual Harassment Encounters With Harvey Weinstein
Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o is one of the latest Hollywood personalities to share how she allegedly experienced sexual harassment in the hands of movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
Nyong'o recounted her story and detailed it through an op-ed published in the New York Times where she said: "I had shelved my experience with Harvey far in the recesses of my mind, joining in the conspiracy of silence that has allowed this predator to prowl for so many years."
The 34-year-old actress recalled that she first met Weinstein at an awards ceremony in Berlin at the time when she was just "an aspiring actress" and studying at the Yale School of Drama. At the time, Nyong'o shared, a female producer had already warned her that Weinstein "can be a bully."
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After they met in Berlin, she was invited by Weinstein to watch a film by a competitor in the producer's home in Westport, Connecticut.
The actress recounted that Weinstein had asked her to join him for dinner before proceeding to his house where she said the producer repeatedly tried to order her to drink a shot of vodka. However, she succeeded in turning him down.
While they were watching the said film in his house, Nyong'o said Weinstein "insisted" that he had something to show her but she was eventually led to his bedroom where he said he would give her a massage. She quickly decided to offer to give him one instead to make things safer. She was able to leave after that.
After several meetings that followed, Nyong'o recalled another incident where the producer invited her to a restaurant. But before they started with their meal, she said he suddenly told her: "Let's cut to the chase. I have a private room upstairs where we can have the rest of our meal."
Nyong'o added: "He told me not to be so naïve. If I wanted to be an actress, then I had to be willing to do this sort of thing. He said he had dated Famous Actress X and Y and look where that had gotten them."
She also shared that after the success of "12 Years a Slave," she got an offer for one of the films to be produced by The Weinstein Co., which she rejected even after the producer attempted to personally convince Nyong'o and her agent.
In the end, Nyong'o encouraged readers to "never shut up about this kind of thing." She added that her decision to come forward was to register "that this is not the kind of misconduct that deserves a second chance."
The actress added that sharing her experience with Weinstein was her way "to contribute to the end of the conspiracy of silence."
On the other hand, Weinstein's spokesperson reacted to Nyong'o's op-ed and said the producer "has a different recollection of the events."
