Kate Beckinsale Relives the Moment Harvey Weinstein Called Her a 'Stupid C***' For Not Dressing Sexy Enough

Louisa Ballhaus
·6 min read

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We may never know how many women former Hollywood producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein has attacked and abused in his lifetime. It seems like nearly every actress who came in contact with him has a story of their own to share, and Kate Beckinsale is the latest to join their ranks. The Underworld star took to Instagram to share an emotional story about the aftermath of the Serendipity premiere in 2001 when Weinstein verbally abused and berated the star for not choosing a sexy enough outfit. And in case that wasn’t bad enough: her toddler daughter was in the next room.

Beckinsale posted two photos alongside her emotional caption: one of herself in a sleek white suit, and one of Weinstein on the same red carpet. “These photos were taken at the premiere of Serendipity on October 5, 2001,” she wrote. “We all refused to go because holding a premiere mere weeks after 9/11 with the city still smoking felt like the most insensitive, tone deaf, disrespectful idea possible. But Harvey insisted…The next morning Harvey called me and asked if I would like to bring my less than two year old daughter to his house for a playdate with his similar aged daughter. I said ok.”

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These photos were taken at the premiere of Serendipity on October 5,2001. We all refused to go because holding a premiere mere weeks after 9/11 with the city still smoking felt like the most insensitive, tone deaf,disrespectful idea possible .But Harvey insisted. We flew into New York and somehow got through it. The next morning Harvey called me and asked if I would like to bring my less than two year old daughter to his house for a playdate with his similar aged daughter I said ok. I turned up and he immediately called for his nanny to take the babies to another room to play. I went to go with them and he said “No, you wait here .” The minute the door closed he started screaming “you stupid fucking CUNT, you CUNT you ruined my premiere .” I had no idea what he was talking about and started to shake.He said,”If I am throwing a red carpet you get in a tight dress, you shake your ass you shake your tits you do not go down it looking like a fucking lesbian you stupid fucking cunt .” The shock made me burst into tears.I tried to say “Harvey,the city is on fire, people are still looking for their relatives none of us even felt the premiere was appropriate much less coming out dressed like it’s a bachelor party .” He said,”I don’t care -it’s my fucking premiere and if I want pussy on the red carpet that’s what I get”.Screaming. Livid. I managed to get myself and my child out of there and yes that was one of many experiences I had that there was no recourse for,and falls under no felony.But I WAS punished for it, and for other instances where I said no to him for years,insidiously and seeming irreversibly. Hearing that he has gone to prison for 23 years is a huge relief to me on behalf of all the women he sexually assaulted or raped, and I hope will be a deterrent to that sort of behavior in this and any other industry. Having said that,the crimes that are not crimes,the inhumane bullying and sick covert abuse for which there is STILL no recourse no matter who you tell(and I did tell),these too need to go.I hope and pray that we as an industry can start to actually outlaw all abuses of power and expose them and eliminate them, for all genders,forever.And Rose,brava ❤

A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale) on Mar 11, 2020 at 7:45pm PDT

Weinstein’s playdate suggestion turned out to be nothing more than a ruse to get Beckinsale into the privacy of his home. “I turned up and he immediately called for his nanny to take the babies to another room to play. I went to go with them and he said ‘No, you wait here.’ The minute the door closed he started screaming ‘you stupid fucking C—T, you C—T you ruined my premiere.’ I had no idea what he was talking about and started to shake. He said, ‘If I am throwing a red carpet you get in a tight dress, you shake your ass you shake your tits you do not go down it looking like a f—king lesbian you stupid fucking c—t.'”

Understandably, Beckinsale was shaken by this turn: “The shock made me burst into tears. I tried to say ‘Harvey, the city is on fire, people are still looking for their relatives none of us even felt the premiere was appropriate much less coming out dressed like it’s a bachelor party.’ He said, ‘I don’t care — it’s my f—king premiere and if I want pussy on the red carpet that’s what I get.’ Screaming. Livid.”

We can’t even imagine how frightening that must have been — all the while, knowing that your child was in the next room. “I managed to get myself and my child out of there,” Beckinsale added. “And yes that was one of many experiences I had that there was no recourse for, and falls under no felony. But I WAS punished for it, and for other instances where I said no to him for years, insidiously and seeming irreversibly.”

Beckinsale is one of the many, many women deeply relieved to see that Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison, and is expressing her heartfelt gratitude for the brave women who came forward and helped put an end to this behavior.

“Hearing that he has gone to prison for 23 years is a huge relief to me on behalf of all the women he sexually assaulted or raped, and I hope will be a deterrent to that sort of behavior in this and any other industry…I hope and pray that we as an industry can start to actually outlaw all abuses of power and expose them and eliminate them, for all genders, forever. And Rose [McGowan], brava.”

It’s unbearable to think of how many more women suffered similar abuse and found themselves unable to stop it or report it to anyone who would help. We can only hope, as Beckinsale does, for a better future. Every story helps, and with Weinstein behind bars, let’s send the message that this treatment will never, ever again be acceptable.

Click here to see more celebrities who have bravely spoken out about their experiences with abuse and assault.

Launch Gallery: 22 Celebs Who Bravely Opened Up About Being Sexually Assaulted

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