Pamela Anderson reveals confrontation with Harvey Weinstein

Pamela Anderson: Getty
Pamela Anderson: Getty

Pamela Anderson has said she thinks her naivety protected her from harassment in Hollywood, after revealing a confrontation with Harvey Weinstein.

In an interview with the Times magazine, the 50-year-old actress and model described her reaction when someone asked her to do something she wasn't comfortable with. "I would be like, 'You want me to do what?' Then I'd say, 'Oh my God, you're the worst thing that people say about this industry and I'm going back to Canada.' I would storm off and shout, 'I believe in love!' And slam the door."

Ms Anderson said she had a confrontation with Weinstein that was not sexual."He told me I'd never work in this town again, because I refused to work with a dog," she said.

"He wanted me to play Invisible Girl on Superhero Movie. But they wanted me to work with an actual dog. I said, 'I won't work with animals in a film.' And he said, 'We're just going to put the dog there. What's the problem?' And I said, 'No. Put an X on the floor. I am talking to an invisible dog. Why do we need an actual dog?'

"And he was so mean. He called me back and shouted, 'You're Pamela Anderson; you're lucky I'm even putting you in a f***ing film. You're never going to work in this f***ing industry again, you son of a f***ing bitch.' "He's so intense. I've never been talked to that way by anybody. Not even by a boyfriend. He was really intimidating. And I did it. But I did it without the dog."

The actress also expressed confusion after being told photographer Terry Richardson has been banned from working for Condé Nast because of allegations of harassment against him. "Terry Richardson! The photographer? Oh, no. But I liked working with him. He was so nice when I met him. He's gay, right?" the Times says she responded.

Ms Anderson, who was a victim of domestic violence during her marriage to Tommy Lee, has also previously spoken about sexual abuse she experienced growing up on Vancouver Island.

In a 2014 speech at a Pamela Anderson Foundation event, she said she was assaulted by a female babysitter from the age of six; by a man in his twenties when she was 12; and by a boyfriend and his friends at the age of 14.

In the Times interview, she said she wasn't willing to speak about what was a "difficult" time, but wanted to tell women sharing is a good thing. "Don't blame yourself," she added.

Ms Anderson has described domestic abuse as "an epidemic". She was involved in setting up and funding the US-based National Domestic Violence Hotline, and she's answered phones there herself.

"You think, 'I'm in this, and this has happened and I'm embarrassed to tell anybody that this happened.' But the first time you notice any strangeness, tell your girlfriends, get advice," she urged.

The actress said she wanted to make sure her two sons exhibited none of the same behaviour. "I say to my sons, 'If you disrespect any woman, you disrespect me.' And they're like, 'Woo. Got it.' They're not going to do that."