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Lena Headey Says Harvey Weinstein Tried to Force Her Into His Hotel Room

The Game of Thrones actress says she felt completely powerless.

21 March, 2018
Lena Headey Says Harvey Weinstein Tried to Force Her Into His Hotel Room

Over the last two weeks, more than 30 women have come forward with allegations of harassment including some forms of sexual assault against film producer Harvey Weinstein. In a string of tweets, Game of Thrones star Lena Headey shared a story of her own devastating experience with him.

Headey recalled meeting Weinstein for the first time at the Venice Film Festival to see The Brothers Grimm. The actress went on to say that Weinstein invited her to go for a walk down by the water and made a suggestive gesture towards her once they were alone. "I just laughed it off," Headey wrote. "I was genuinely shocked. I remember thinking, "It's got to be a joke." Headey was uncomfortable and in disbelief, but suggested they head back to the party and assumed the situation was over.

[twitter align='center' id='920309494143504384' username='IAMLenaHeadey']https://twitter.com/IAMLenaHeadey/status/920309494143504384" >

Years later, Headey agreed to meet with Weinstein again for what she assumed to be a work-related breakfast. "I had always carried the thought that he'd never try anything with me again, not after I'd laughed and said never in a million years," Headey wrote. "I believed that he respected my boundary, and maybe he wanted to talk about potential work."

[twitter align='center' id='920309515995746304' username='IAMLenaHeadey']https://twitter.com/IAMLenaHeadey/status/920309515995746304" >

Despite giving Weinstein the benefit of the doubt and agreeing to meet with him for breakfast, Headey says he continued to press her about her love life. After Headey tried to deflect from his questions by changing the topic to something less personal, she claims he invited her up to his hotel room to show her a script. "We walked to the lift and my energy shifted," Headey wrote. "My whole body went into high alert. The lift was going up and I said to Harvey, 'I'm not interested in anything other than work. Please don't think I got in here with you for any other reason. Nothing is going to happen.'"

[twitter align='center' id='920309541430013952' username='IAMLenaHeadey']https://twitter.com/IAMLenaHeadey/status/920309541430013952" >

Headey went on to say that Weinstein was furious and continued to walk her to his room. "His hand was on my back," she wrote. "He was marching me forward, not a word. I felt completely powerless." According to Headey's Twitter statement, Weinstein's key card didn't work, causing him to become even angrier and usher her back downstairs. "He paid for my car and whispered in my ear, 'Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent,' Headey wrote. "I got into my car and I cried."

[twitter align='center' id='920309569074679808' username='IAMLenaHeadey']https://twitter.com/IAMLenaHeadey/status/920309569074679808" >

Multiple actresses and women in the entertainment industry have accused Weinstein of sexual assault or harassment, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, Rose McGowan, and Angelina Jolie. Read the full list of Harvey Weinstein's accusers and their allegations here.

Weinstein denied "many" of the earlier allegations, and in a statement by a spokesperson last week, "unequivocally denied" all allegations of non-consensual sex, adding that "there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances." View his full statement here.

Credit: Cosmopolitan
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