Harvey Weinstein: Salma Hayek claims he threatened to kill her

Oscar-nominated Salma Hayek came forward with an essay, detailing her alleged experience working with Harvey Weinstein, claiming unwanted sexual advances and threats of violence.

Hayek wrote that she spent years saying no to the producer, following his demands for sexual activity. She joined several other women in Hollywood, who have all accused Weinstein of similar behaviour.

“No to opening the door to him at all hours of the night, hotel after hotel, location after location, where he would show up unexpectedly, including one location where I was doing a movie he wasn’t even involved with,” she wrote.

“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.”

Hayek wrote that every refusal was met with “Harvey’s Machiavellian rage” and while he used to sweet-talk her to get his way, he would also threaten her.

She claimed, “in an attack of fury,” he said to her: “I will kill you, don’t think I can’t.”

The actress worked with Weinstein on Frida, a biopic of the artist Frida Kahlo.

Frida Kahlo (left) and Salma Hayek as Frida (Photo: Daily Express)

After refusing to sleep with him, she alleged that he attempted to remove her from the project, despite the fact that she had spearheaded the movie in the first place.

Once she met his demands with regards to the budget and script, he agreed to let her star in the picture.

During production, however, the producer complained that she wasn’t using her physical attributes enough.

“He offered me one option to continue. He would let me finish the film if I agreed to do a sex scene with another woman and he demanded full-frontal nudity. He had been constantly asking for more skin, for more sex.”

She agreed, not wanting the production to be shut down.

“I arrived on set on the day we were to shoot the scene that I believed would save the movie,” she wrote. “And for the first and last time in my career, I had a nervous breakdown. My body began to shake uncontrollably, my breath was short and I began to cry and cry, unable to stop, as if I were throwing up tears.”

The film ended with six Oscar nominations, including Best Actress.

“Until there is equality in our industry, with men and women having the same value in every aspect of it, our community will continue to be a fertile ground for predators,” she wrote. “I am grateful for everyone who is listening to our experiences. I hope that adding my voice to the chorus of those who are finally speaking out will shed light on why it is so difficult, and why so many of us have waited so long.”

Hayek’s allegations came after other testimonies from people in Hollywood including Rose McGowan, Annabella Sciorra and Ashley Judd, who have claimed sexual misconduct on Weinstein’s part, which the producer denies.

“Mr Weinstein has never at any time committed an act of sexual assault, and it is wrong and irresponsible to conflate claims of impolitic behaviour or consensual sexual contact later regretted, with an untrue claim of criminal conduct,” said a statement released from his lawyer earlier this month.