Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow are the latest actresses to allege they were victims of sexual harassment by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Both said the incidents happened early in their careers.
They join a string of actresses accusing Weinstein of harassment. On Tuesday he also denied allegations of rape made in The New Yorker magazine.
Weinstein’s wife, designer Georgina Chapman, said on Tuesday that she was leaving him.
“My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions,” the 41-year-old told People magazine. She and Weinstein, 65, have two children together.
Ex-President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have also added their voice to growing demonstrations of public outrage.
A statement released by the Obamas says they “have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein”. It adds they “celebrate the courage of women who have come forward”.
On Sunday the mogul’s Hollywood studio, the Weinstein Company, fired him over the allegations.
Also on Tuesday, Paltrow and Jolie both sent statements to the New York Times, which first reported allegations against him last week.
Jolie said in an email: “I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did.
“This behaviour towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.”
In a statement, Paltrow alleged that, after Weinstein cast her in the leading role in Emma, he summoned her to his hotel suite, where he placed his hands on her and suggested massages in his bedroom.
“I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,” she told the newspaper.
She said she told her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt about the incident, and said he confronted Weinstein.
“I thought he was going to fire me,” she said.
Source: BBC
