Uma Thurman Accuses Harvey Weinstein of Sexual Assault

Uma Thurman at EE British Academy Film Awards BAFTA 2014 © Joe Alvarez.jpg

Actress Uma Thurman has joined the growing group of women accusing Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. More than 70 women have accused the movie mogul of sexual misconduct, including rape. Actress Uma Thurman, an early star of Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax studio thanks to iconic roles in “Pulp Fiction” and “Kill Bill,” has accused the Hollywood producer of attacking her and threatening her career.

Thurman told The New York Times in an article published Saturday that Weinstein tried to sexually assault her when they met in his suite at London’s Savoy Hotel in 1994. “He tried to shove himself on me. He tried to expose himself. He did all kinds of unpleasant things. But he didn’t actually put his back into it and force me,” she told the newspaper.

Thurman said she got to know Weinstein and his first wife, Eve, after the success of the film “Pulp Fiction,” which was produced by Weinstein’s company.

“I knew him pretty well before he attacked me,” Thurman said in the article. She said she privately regarded Weinstein as an enemy after that. Late last year, when the initial Weinstein revelations were reported, Thurman said she would wait to speak about inappropriate behavior in the workplace because she did not want to say anything in anger.

Uma Thurman 68th Cannes Film Festival © Joe Alvarez — Uma Thurman © Joe Alvarez

In October, it was reported that dozens of women had accused Weinstein of sexual abuse stretching back over 30 years. Criminal investigations into complaints from six women are ongoing in Los Angeles, New York City and London.

Many other well-known public figures in the worlds of film, music, politics and media have been accused of similar offenses since the initial Weinstein allegations came to light.

Weinstein’s lawyer Ben Brafman said Saturday that the producer had apologized to Thurman for making an “awkward pass” at her 25 years ago, but physical assault claims were untrue.

Brafman said the producer was “stunned and saddened” by the accusations.

“Why Ms. Thurman would wait 25 years to publicly discuss this incident and why according to Weinstein, she would embellish what really happened to include false accusations of attempted physical assault is a mystery to Weinstein and his attorneys,” Brafman said.

Thurman’s statements in the article were being examined before deciding whether any legal action would be appropriate, he added.

Harvey Weinstein at the Elle Style Awards © Joe Alvarez — Harvey Weinstein © Joe Alvarez

Through a spokesperson, Weinstein also denied ever threatening Thurman’s prospects and said he thought she was “a brilliant actress.”

Thurman starred in “Pulp Fiction” directed by Quentin Tarantino, and was the lead actor in his two-film “Kill Bill” action series, both produced by Weinstein’s Miramax studio.

In the article, Thurman also accused Tarantino of making her perform a dangerous car stunt that led to her injury. A video shows Thurman crashing into a tree, and she said she left hospital in a neck brace with damaged knees and a concussion.

In the Times piece, the actress says the accident occurred near the end of production on the film and happened after she had told Tarantino that Weinstein, who produced Kill Bill as well as their 1994 film Pulp Fiction, had assaulted her in London. Thurman says she did not feel comfortable operating the car and asked for a stunt person to do the scene, but Tarantino insisted she drive the car, which resulted in a crash that she claims gave her a concussion and damaged knees. Thurman released footage of the on-set incident Saturday as well.

The actress also claims that Tarantino spat in her face and strangled her with a chain for other scenes, something that Chastain specifically called out. “I keep imagining Tarantino spitting in Uma’s face and strangling her with a chain for KILL BILL. How many images of women in media do we celebrate that showcase abuse? When did this become normalized ‘entertainment‘?” she tweeted.

Apatow also tweeted that Tarantino ignored Kill Bill: Volume 2 actress Daryl Hannah’s allegations of harassment at the hands of Weinstein. “They kicked [Hannah] off the press tour. Nobody helped her. And now Tarantino is going to make a movie about Polanski. Why is someone financing this? This is why Weinstein wasn’t stopped,” he wrote, in reference to Tarantino’s forthcoming Charles Manson-based film. (Manson’s cult of followers, at his request, murdered actress Sharon Tate, who was married to Roman Polanski at the time.)

Quentin Tarantino Cannes Film Festival Party © Joe Alvarez — Quentin Tarantino © Joe Alvarez

Asia Argento, who was one of the first women to publicly speak out against Weinstein, didn’t pull any punches in her remarks, tweeting: “Weinstein and Tarantino, what a pair! A serial rapist and a near murderer. It’s no fucking joke what these abhorrent criminals did to Uma Thurman, before and after #KillBill. They put her life, her dignity, her sanity in danger. Burn in hell you sick fucks.”