Sienna Miller has recalled her past encounters with disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein – and says she was protected from being attacked by the predator thanks to her relationship with Jude Law at the time.
The 40-year-old actress starred in the 2006 biographical film Factory Girl – about troubled socialite Edie Sedgwick – which was produced by the now defunct The Weinstein Company.
Sienna dated 49-year-old Jude on and off from 2003 until 2011 – and he himself starred in a number of Weinstein-backed projects including The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain.
In 2017, accusations and allegations that 70-year-old Weinstein had sexually assaulted and raped a string of women began to emerge – with Hollywood rocked by the allegations, while others also speculated that it was an open secret that he was known to harass actresses; with the producer himself ultimately jailed for his crimes in 2020.
Speaking to The Guardian, Sienna has speculated that her relationship with Jude protected her from being targeted by Weinstein – who regarded Jude as ‘big actor’ in his titled.
Sienna said: “I was Jude’s girlfriend, and there was probably protection in that.”
She also recalled: “I called Harvey ‘Pops’ from day one, which I’m sure helped” – highlighting that the non-sexualised nick-name may have helped keep the predator in check.
Sienna wasn’t completely shielded form Weinstein’s notoriously volatile character, however.
She told the publication: “I was rehearsing one day with Steve Buscemi and Harvey called and asked me to come to his office.
“I said, ‘I’m in rehearsal.’ And he shouted, ‘Now!’ and sent a car.”
She continued: “He sat me down in his office and said, ‘You’re not f***ing going out any more, you’re not partying, rah rah rah.’
“I was having a lot of fun, but I managed to go to work on time. And he was standing over me while I was sitting in a chair, lip quivering, and then he slammed the door, and I burst into tears.”
Sienna went on to say that it was a ‘right of passage’ for women in Hollywood to be reduced to tears by the producer – and that some felt they hadn’t ‘made it’ until such an encounter took place.
She also went on to stress that she had no idea he had been committing acts of sexual assault and rape.
Harvey Weinstein was put on trial in New York in January 2020 after being charged in 2018 for rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two women.
He was found guilty of two of five charges by a jury the following month and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
However, he could yet face even more jail time as he faces a criminal trial in Los Angeles which is yet to begin.
He is currently being held in Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles following extradition from his New York prison to California last year.
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