Weinstein threatened to kill me: Salma Hayek

Actress Salma Hayek has described Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein as a rage-fuelled "monster", alleging he sexually harassed and threatened her. Weinstein has denied the accusation.

Writing in the New York Times, Hayek said Weinstein once told her: "I will kill you, don't think I can't," BBC reported on Wednesday.

Dozens of actresses, including Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused Weinstein of harassment or assault. He gas denies all the allegations of non-consensual sex.

Hayek, 51, a Mexican-American, described working with Weinstein on what she called her "greatest ambition" - telling the story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

 

After striking a deal with Weinstein for the rights of the film that would eventually become 2002's "Frida", Hayek wrote it became "my turn to say no".

"No to me taking a shower with him. No to letting him watch me take a shower. No to letting him give me a massage. No to letting a naked friend of his give me a massage. No to letting him give me oral sex. No to my getting naked with another woman," she wrote.

She accused him of threatening to shut the film down unless she filmed a nude sex scene with another actress.

"I had to take a tranquilizer, which eventually stopped the crying but made the vomiting worse," she wrote of her emotional turmoil at filming a scene she thought unnecessary.

"As you can imagine, this was not sexy, but it was the only way I could get through the scene."

Frida would eventually gather six Oscar nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Hayek.

Weinstein has been accused of rape, sexual assault and harassment but has "unequivocally denied" any allegations of non-consensual relationships.

Weinstein also denied Hayek's accusations.

"All of the sexual allegations as portrayed by (Hayek) are not accurate and others who witnessed the events have a different account of what transpired," Weinstein's spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that Weinstein "regards Salma Hayek a first-class actress" and admits "there was creative friction" on the set of "Frida".

--IANS

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