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Artist News
Björk discusses film industry sexual harassment
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 16 October 2017
As the accusations of sexual harassment and assault against movie producer Harvey Weinstein mount up, Björk has spoken out about her experiences in the film industry, in her case with a Danish director. Meanwhile, footage has emerged of Courtney Love warning young actresses about Weinstein back in 2005.
Writing on her Facebook page, Björk said: “I am inspired by the women everywhere who are speaking up online to tell about my experience with a Danish director”.
“I come from a country that is one of the world’s places closest to equality between the sexes and at the time I came from position of strength in the music world with hard earned independence”, she continues. “[So] it was extremely clear to me when I walked into the [acting] profession that my humiliation and role as a lesser sexually harassed being was the norm and set in stone with the director and a staff of dozens who enabled it and encouraged it”.
She says that having “turned the director down repeatedly, he sulked and punished me and created for his team an impressive net of illusion where I was framed as the difficult one”. She adds: “I walked away from it and recovered in a year’s time. I am worried, though, that other actresses working with the same man did not”.
However, she concludes: “The director was fully aware of this game and I am sure … that the film he made after was based on his experiences with me, because I was the first one that stood up to him and didn’t let him get away with it. In my opinion, he had a more fair and meaningful relationship with his actresses after my confrontation, so there is hope. Let’s hope this statement supports the actresses and actors all over. Let’s stop this. There is a wave of change in the world”.
Meanwhile, with the Weinstein scandal still growing, TMZ has unearthed a red carpet interview with Courtney Love from 2005, in which she’s asked if she has any advice for young women trying to make it in Hollywood. After hesitating, she says: “If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in his Four Seasons [hotel room], don’t go”.
Following the publication of the video, Love tweeted: “Although I wasn’t one of his victims, I was eternally banned by CAA for speaking out against Harvey Weinstein”.
