British actor Lysette Anthony has become the latest woman to accuse Harvey Weinstein of rape, giving an account of how the Hollywood mogul allegedly attacked her in her London home in the late 1980s.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, the 54-year-old — who now stars in the British soap “Hollyoaks” — said she reported the rape allegations to police in London last week and that she had spent years of her life trying to forget what she described as a “pathetic, revolting” attack.
Dozens of women in the entertainment industry have openly accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, sexual assault or other sexual misconduct, exposing an extraordinary culture of complicity and intimidation that allowed the film producer to carry out the alleged actions.
But a representative for Weinstein, Sallie Hofmeister, said her client denies any rape took place.
“Any allegation of nonconsensual sex is vigorously denied by Mr. Weinstein,” she said in a written statement.
The interview with Anthony was published a day after Weinstein was expelled from the organization behind the Oscars over the accusations.
Before Anthony made her accusations, Weinstein’s representatives categorically denied that any non-consensual sex took place with the other women.
London Metropolitan Police announced October 11 that a woman had reported a sexual assault that took place in the 1980s. On that same day, Anthony posted a tweet that she had reported the crime to police.
And on Sunday, police said that a second woman had made a report against the same man in the October 11 report. That woman alleges the man assaulted her in London in 2010, 2011 and 2015.
London police have not referred to Weinstein by name in statements about its investigation into the sex assault allegations, but when asked, a spokesperson told CNN that the first report in London referred to Weinstein.
‘It was disgusting’
Anthony told the Times of how she and Weinstein met in 1982 when she was around 19 years of age. She had been cast in a leading role in the sci-fi film “Krull.”
She and Weinstein became friends and had met on his trips to London, but he suddenly began stalking her, she said.
She told the Times that he grabbed her one night in the late 1980s at a home he had rented in the upscale London district of Chelsea, where she had met him for a drink.
“The next thing I knew he was half undressed and he grabbed me. It was the last thing I expected and I fled. I blamed it on myself because I was tired, a bit drunk and therefore so completely off my guard. He was a so-called friend I’d known for years and the clumsy fumble was the last thing I saw coming,” she said.
But it was on another occasion that Harvey turned up at Anthony’s house and allegedly raped her.
“I was in my dressing gown and I answered the door to find Harvey standing there,” she said.
“He pushed me inside and rammed me up against the coat rack in my tiny hall and started fumbling at my gown. He was trying to kiss me and shove inside me. It was disgusting.”
She said she tried to push him away but was unable to as he was too heavy.
“Finally I just gave up. At least I was able to stop him kissing me. As he ground himself against me, I kept my eyes shut tight, held my breath, just let him get on with it. He came over my leg like a dog and then left. It was pathetic, revolting. I remember lying in the bath later and crying.”
‘I’d just given up’
She explained that she felt pressured to continue to accept meetings with Weinstein over new roles, even after the alleged rape.
Her recollection of those meetings echo those told by several other women who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault.
“The meetings would start with a chat in a hotel suite. The assistants would disappear and then he’d disappear and return in a robe demanding a massage. By then I’d just given up. I knew I was powerless and at least I wouldn’t have to do much. I was just a body, young flesh. It wouldn’t take long and no one knew.”
An agent for Anthony told CNN the actress was not commenting further on the case.
Correction: This piece has been updated to clarify which police department said the sexual assault claim from the 1980s was against Harvey Weinstein.