Kate Beckinsale Says Harvey Weinstein Threatened Her For Saying ‘No’ When She Was 17

Kate Beckinsale is the latest actress to accuse Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of targeting her when she was starting out her career. She starred in two films produced by Weinstein Co., Serendipity and The Aviator.

According to Beckinsale’s Instagram post, she was 17 when the entertainment mogul invited her to his hotel room. Weinstein opened up the door clad in just a bathrobe. Beckinsale declined to “have a drink” with him, saying that she had classes in the morning. While she came out of the experience physically unharmed, she admitted feeling uneasy.

What made her story more disturbing was that the episode did not happen just once.

“I had what I thought were boundaries — I said no to him professionally many times over the years — some of which ended up with him screaming at me calling me a c**t and making threats, some of which made him laughingly tell people, ‘Oh, Kate lives to say no to me.'”

The Underworld actress lauded her fellow actresses who opted to speak out against Weinstein’s misdeeds. She believes that coming forward will make a big difference to the atmosphere of fear sexual predators have established.

“Let’s stop allowing our young women to be sexual cannon fodder, and let’s remember that Harvey is an emblem of a system that is sick, and that we have work to do,” she wrote.

In an expose, the New York Times revealed that for decades, Weinstein paid settlements to women who accused the producer of sexual harassment. More than 20 women, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused the once powerful figure of harassing them.

Beckinsale’s account of her encounter with Weinstein is similar to the accusers’ stories; the producer would invite them to seemingly harmless meetings but he would appear scantily dressed and ask them for sexual favors.

Following the string of allegations against Weinstein, his wife, Georgina Chapman, decided to leave him. The Sun reports that it was the Pulp Fiction producer who urged the fashion designer to do so.

“We discussed the possibility of a separation and I encouraged her to do what was in her heart,” Weinstein’s statement read.

He remained hopeful to be in the lives of his family in the future.

The Marchesa founder announced her separation with Weinstein and expressed remorse for the women who have “suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions.”

They got married in 2007 and have two kids. Chapman asks the press to give her children privacy.

After his fall from grace, which involved being fired by his own company and being condemned by Cannes and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), it was initially reported that Weinstein went to Europe to seek treatment. However, as per TMZ, his plans reportedly changed and Weinstein’s private jet touched down instead to Wickenburg, Arizona, which is near the renowned Meadows Rehabilitation Center.

[Featured Image by Theo Wargo/Getty Images]