Harvey Weinstein has denied claims he tried to "take off his pants" in front of Lupita Nyong’o and asked if he could massage her.
The ’12 Years a Slave’ star is the latest actress to accuse the Hollywood producer of sexual harassment, alleging that when she refused his request she offered to massage him instead, but he has rejected her version of events and revealed she has since invited him to see her in a play.
Harvey said in a statement through a representative: "Mr. Weinstein has a different recollection of the events, but believes Lupita is a brilliant actress and a major force for the industry. Last year, she sent a personal invitation to Mr. Weinstein to see her in her Broadway show Eclipsed."
Lupita has responded to his statement and said she will give "no further comment."
The star says the movie mogul invited the 34-year-old star to his home in Westport, Connecticut, to watch a screening of a competitor’s movie, but 15 minutes in she claims he led her to his bedroom and asked if he could give her a rub down, all while his kids were in the same building.
In her piece for The New York Times, she wrote: "Harvey led me into a bedroom – his bedroom – and announced that he wanted to give me a massage. I thought he was joking at first. He was not. For the first time since I met him, I felt unsafe. I panicked a little and thought quickly to offer to give him one instead: It would allow me to be in control physically, to know exactly where his hands were at all times.
"I began to massage his back to buy myself time to figure out how to extricate myself from this undesirable situation. Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants. I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that. ‘If we’re not going to watch the film, I really should head back to school,’ I said."
Before the alleged incident, the pair had lunch during which Lupita claims she ordered a juice but Harvey insisted she have a vodka and branded her "stubborn" when she refused to do so.
She later attended a staged reading of his show ‘Finding Neverland’ with two of her male friends, and then a screening of ‘W.E.’ on her own.
Afterwards, the pair went to the Tribeca Grill for a meal and she alleges he propositioned her once again but she refused and ended up leaving the restaurant without even eating.
She wrote: "Before the starters arrived, he announced, ‘Let’s cut to the chase. I have a private room upstairs where we can have the rest of our meal.’ I was stunned. I told him I preferred to eat in the restaurant. He told me not to be so naïve. If I wanted to be an actress, then I had to be willing to do this sort of thing. He said he had dated Famous Actress X and Y and look where that had gotten them."
Lupita later met Harvey at an after-party following a premiere of ’12 Years a Slave’ and claims he told her he "was ashamed of his actions and he promised to respect me moving forward", but she promised herself she would never work with him.
In 2014, she was offered a role in a Weinstein Company movie but rejected the part.
The star, who claims before ever meeting the movie mogul she was advised to "keep Harvey in your corner" but told he can "be a bully", admits she "felt sick in the pit of my stomach" while recalling the experiences and a "flare of rage" that the alleged incidents involving her were not "unique".
Harvey has been accused of sexual harassment by more than 40 women over a 30-year period. Following the allegations, he has been fired from The Weinstein Company, and his wife, Georgina Chapman has left him.
Harvey Weinstein denies Lupita Nyong’o claims
