In a recent interview with Variety, Ashley Judd opened up about being sexually harassed by one of Hollywood’s top studio chiefs.
“I was sexually harassed by one of our industry’s most famous, admired-slash-reviled bosses,” Judd revealed. “I was making “Kiss the Girls” at the time, and here I was, a declared feminist.
“I did not recognize at the time what was happening to me. It took years before I could evaluate that incident and realize that there was something incredibly wrong and illegal about it.”
Judd goes on to say that she was not the unnamed mogul’s only victim, and she says she eventually realized that “a bunch of other actors” endured “the exact same thing.”
The “stealth” nature of the harassment, the abuse of power, and the dawning realization that the victims were numerous bring to mind the many accusations against Bill Cosby.
Naturally, the world of celebrity gossip has been abuzz with theories regarding the identity of Judd’s abuser and the speculation keeps coming back around to one name: Harvey Weinstein.
In addition to the fact that Weinstein was accused of sexually assaulting a young woman earlier this year, several details in Judd’s description (a “reviled” boss who heads a studio that’s a “rival” of Paramount’s) mesh with Weinstein’s infamous public persona.
Then there are these accounts posted anonymously on the comment boards for a Jezebel article about Judd’s claims:
“Under the anonymity of the internet, I can actually confirm it was Harvey Weinstein,” wrote one woman. “I went to grad school with Ashley Judd and she told this story as we were discussing adult development and how some powerful men end up as predators.
“She was young when it happened and I absolutely believe her because a) every f–king woman in Hollywood has some unspoken story about that dick and b) she had no reason to lie or embellish under the circumstances.”
Another woman supported the claim, writing:
“Under the anonymity of the internet, I can confirm this from the perspective of a working woman in Hollywood. When things get really sh-tty, there will be actress meet ups that involve lots of sh-tty homemade cocktails and bitching about the stupidity of the old white men that run this industry, and Harvey Weinstein’s name always comes up.
“Everyone has at least one story, whether it’s about them or someone dear to them. It’s so f–ked up. He should absolutely be in prison.”
Weinstein has yet to comment on Judd’s claims or the growing number anonymous allegations against him. Story developing.