Across the industry, ripple effects of the Harvey Weinstein controversy are being felt.
Suicide Squad actress Cara Delevingne stepped forward with her own encounter with the now disgraced media figure. In a detailed Instagram post, she goes on to revive how sickening the filmmaker became.
When I first started to work as an actress. I was working on a film and I received a call from Harvey Weinstein asking if I had slept with any of the women I was seen out with in the media. It was a very off and uncomfortable call. I answered none of his questions and hurried off the phone but before I hung up, he said to me that if I was gay or decided to be with a woman especially in public Ithat I’d never get the role of a straight woman or make it as an actress in Hollywood.
Cara went on:
A year or two later, I went to a meeting with him in the lobby of a hotel with a director about an upcoming film. The director left the meeting and Harvey asked me to stay and chat with him. As soon as we were alone he began to brag about all the actresses he had slept with and how he had made their careers and spoke about other inappropriate things of a sexual nature. He then invited me to his room. I quickly declined and asked his assistant if my car was outside. She said it wasn’t and would be for a bit and I should go to his room.”
It’s clear when Weinstein was involved there was a pay to play rule implied with his business dealings with actresses. This idea has been echoed by over a dozen women this week. As they stepped forward detailing their encounters with the filmmaker. Another common thread was his use of associates and assistants to coerce woman in the industry into providing sexual favors. It’s hard to imagine that his behavior was a huge secret in Hollywood.
Cara Delevingne continued with her account:
At that moment I felt very powerless and scared but didn’t want to act that way hoping that I was wrong about the situation. When I arrived I was relieved to find another woman in his room and thought immediately I was safe. He asked us to kiss and she began some sort of advances upon his direction. I swiftly got up and asked him if he knew that I could sing. And I began to sing… I thought it would make the situation better… more professional…like an audition…I was nervous. After singing I said again that I had to leave. He walked me to the door and stood in front of it and tried to kiss me on the lips. I stopped him and managed to get out of the room.
Speaking about a yet to be named film, Cara Delevingne talked about how she felt about getting the role and what the experience did to her.
I still got the part for the film and always thought that he gave it to me because of what happened. Since then I felt awful that I did the movie. I felt like I didn’t deserve the part.
She goes on to explain her motivations behind coming out with her own experience with Weinstein:
I was so hesitant about speaking out… I didn’t want to hurt his family. I felt guilty as if I did something wrong. I was also terrified that this sort of thing had happened to so many women I know but no one had said anything because of fear.
This isn’t the first time actors have come forward with stories of sexual predators in the industry using their positions to gain favors from actors. Especially those new to the industry or valuable. Corey Feldman spoke very publicly a few years ago about this problem and how children were targeted.
Cara Delevingne’s story isn’t going to be the last, but I hope that now with the spotlight on someone as powerful as Harvey Weinstein, the rest of those who lurk in the shadows looking to prey on those in the field will be exposed for the monsters they are.