Kate Beckinsale shared her story of Harvey Weinstein’s abuse for which she still has “no recourse”
Trigger warning: This story includes references to verbal abuse.
In the hours following the sentencing of Harvey Weinstein, actress Kate Beckinsale took to Instagram to recount a shocking story about how she was verbally abused by the producer after the premiere of Serendipity in 2001. The film, in which Beckinsale starred alongside John Cusack, was produced by the Weinstein-founded company Miramax, and it premiered in New York mere weeks after the September 11th attacks. Beckinsale recalls how she, and others, felt that going through with the red carpet event “with the city still smoking” felt “insensitive, tone deaf, [and] disrespectful.” But Weinstein insisted it go on.
The day after, Weinstein allegedly verbally attacked Beckinsale for wearing a more conservative outfit to the premiere.
“These photos were taken at the premiere of Serendipity on October 5, 2001,” Beckinsale begins in the caption of her March 11th post. She says Weinstein called the next day to set up a playdate with their daughters. “I said ok,” she writes. “I turned up and he immediately called for his nanny to take the babies to another room to play. I went to go with them and he said ‘No, you wait here.’”
After the children were out of the room, Beckinsale alleges Weinstein began throwing slurs at her.
She writes, “He started screaming ‘you stupid fucking CUNT, you CUNT you ruined my premiere…If I am throwing a red carpet you get in a tight dress, you shake your ass you shake your tits you do not go do it looking like a fucking lesbian you stupid fucking cunt.’”
Beckinsale recalls that the shock of the situation made her burst into tears. She supposedly tried to explain, ‘Harvey, the city is on fire, people are still looking for their relatives, none of us even felt the premiere was appropriate much less coming out dressed like it’s a bachelor party.’” But he retaliated, supposedly firing back at her, “‘I don’t care—it’s my fucking premiere and if I want pussy on the red carpet that’s what I get.’”
She explains that it’s one of many incidents that doesn’t fall under a felony, but it still directly affected her career. “That was one of many experiences I had that there was no recourse for, and falls under no felony,” Beckinsale writes.
“But I WAS punished for it, and for other instances where I said no to him for years, insidiously and seeming irreversibly.”
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On March 11th, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in a New York State prison after being found guilty in February of two felony sex crimes—rape in the third degree and a criminal sex act in the first degree.
“Hearing that he has gone to prison for 23 years is a huge relief to me on behalf of all the women he sexually assaulted or raped, and I hope will be a deterrent to that sort of behavior in this and any other industry,” Beckinsale writes. “Having said that, the crimes that are not crimes, the inhumane bullying and sick covert abuse for which there is STILL no recourse no matter who you tell (and I did tell), these too need to go.”
Beckinsale concludes that she hopes the industry will reform and start to “outlaw all abuses of power.”
She signs off by giving a shoutout to Rose McGowan, one of Weinstein’s original accusers who stayed angry and vocal about wanting justice.
Although Weinstein will be behind bars for what will most likely be the rest of his life, he still faces four sexual assault charges in Los Angeles, meaning he may end up with an even longer sentence. Per USA Today, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has begun the process of extraditing Weinstein to California for arraignment so the trial can begin.
Sadly, this is not the last we’ve heard of Weinstein. However, this is also not the last we’ve heard from his survivors. Like McGowan and Beckinsale, the more outraged and vocal these women and their supporters remain, the less likely we are to see another Weinstein get away with heinous crimes for decades upon decades.
