Uma Thurman opens up about her anger at Harvey Weinstein and Quentin Tarantino
In November, actress Uma Thurman said she was waiting to speak out about sexual harassment and sexual assault until she felt less angry. That day has arrived.
Thurman finally told her story to The New York Times in a devastating account published Saturday. In it, Thurman alleges that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein attacked her multiple times. Thurman also recounts several strange abuses of power on behalf of her Kill Bill director, Quentin Tarantino.
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The actress says Weinstein's incessant flattery, as well as the high position he held, made her miss what would otherwise be seen as key warning signs. She connects her former agency, Creative Artists Agency, with Weinstein's predatory behavior. And she feels deep guilt for failing to protect all the other women who Weinstein assaulted after her:
Thurman's anger doesn't stop there. The actress also alleges that Tarantino, for all of his feminist posturing, took advantage of his power as her director on Kill Bill. Thurman claims that Tarantino asked her to perform a stunt in a car she was told by engineers shouldn't be used. Despite her repeated pleas, Tarantino allegedly pressured her into following through, leaving her with permanent injuries to her neck and knees.
Tarantino also allegedly enjoyed performing some of the film's more sadistic flourishes himself, including spitting in her face and choking her.
"Harvey assaulted me but that didn’t kill me," Thurman told the Times. "What really got me about the crash was that it was a cheap shot. I had been through so many rings of fire by that point. I had really always felt a connection to the greater good in my work with Quentin and most of what I allowed to happen to me and what I participated in was kind of like a horrible mud wrestle with a very angry brother. But at least I had some say, you know?"
The entire interview — which also includes footage of the Kill Bill crash provided by Thurman — is worth a read, available here.
