The 'Desperado' actress recalls her unpleasant experience of working with the disgraced Hollywood producer for the critically-acclaimed movie about fabled artist Frida Kahlo.
- Nov 4, 2021
AceShowbiz - Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein told actress Salma Hayek she looked "ugly" while playing fabled artist Frida Kahlo.
The "Desperado" star first shared her experiences of sexual harassment by Weinstein in a 2017 article, writing that he had begged her to give him oral sex and let him watch her shower, and now she's sharing more details of the way he treated her as the producer of her Oscar-winning 2002 film "Frida", which earned the Mexican-born actress her first Best Actress Academy Award nod and won two Oscars.
"I really focused on the bullying (in the article)," Hayek tells The Guardian, admitting she was able to hold her own even when the mogul behaved badly.
"I did feel all right (when he bullied me)."
But she admits the criticism did get to her.
"OK, I would shake (afterwards) and it did depress me, but there was a cartoon aspect about the whole thing."
But Salma was incredulous when he criticised her Frida Kahlo look because the art star was famous for her monobrow, explaining Weinstein "would call me up and scream, 'Why do you have a (monobrow) and moustache? I didn't hire you to look ugly!' "
"I was like, 'But didn't you ever look at a picture of Frida Kahlo?' If a man was playing Cyrano de Bergerac, he wouldn't say, 'What's with the nose?' "
Hayek previously revealed that, although the former Miramax company chief insisted on a full-frontal nude scene in "Frida", that caused her to have a "nervous breakdown," he never sexually assaulted her - and she thinks it's because of her friendships with colleagues he respected, like Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney.
But Salma feels her own inner strength played a part in him leaving her alone too.
"Also I was very strong. I didn't just say no. I'm a force to be recognised. He never saw me weak. It's not that I'm not afraid, but you're not going to see it. I can be almost intimidating in my calm strength, you know?" she adds.
She also notes Weinstein is "not the first or last" Hollywood bully she has encountered, but she's keen for the culture of abuse to end.
"It was systematic. But one of my strengths is I don't hold a grudge. I also believe people can change... I'm not interested in shaming anyone. I just want it to stop," she concludes.
