AceShowbiz - At the age of 16, Kirsten Dunst experienced an uncomfortable encounter during an audition for a coveted role. A male director, whom she declined to name, asked her an "inappropriate question" while they were alone in his office.

"A male director had me in his office, by myself, and was asking me about this movie he wanted me for, and then, completely out of the blue, asked me this inappropriate question," she recalled. "Honestly, I'm not even sure he's still working any more, it's not something I like to reflect on. But I will say what he said was nothing to do with acting and it wasn't that what he said was just 'a bit off.' It was totally improper. And I remember sitting there and knowing that something was wrong, but with no idea what I should do."

Dunst's mother, Inez Rupprecht, came to her daughter's aid and withdrew her from the audition, ending the actress's association with the project. Dunst attributes her ability to avoid the predatory side of the entertainment industry to her mother's constant presence. "I was only able to avoid that predatory side of the business because wherever I went, my mother was literally always right there," she said.

During the chat, Dunst also discussed gender pay gap between herself and male co-stars. While working on the "Spider-Man" film franchise, Dunst realized that she was being paid significantly less than her co-star, Tobey Maguire. She acknowledges that she was unaware of the situation at the time, as it was not a topic that was openly discussed.