Winona Ryder is an iconic figure in Hollywood known for her standout roles in classics like ‘Beetlejuice‘ and ‘Edward Scissorhands.’ She has always been a symbol of strength and resilience.
Navigating fame wasn’t all glitz and glam for Ryder. The actress opened up about how she was harassed in her late 20s and 30s, admitting it left her feeling invaded and incredibly uncomfortable.
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Sexual Harassment In Hollywood: A Disturbing Reality
In her interview with Esquire, Ryder didn’t hold back about the inappropriate behavior she endured. “I had a couple of difficult experiences with a couple of people who were just blatantly sexually harassing me.” Ryder disclosed, “and then it happened again in my 30s. It wasn’t an assault. But it was incredibly inappropriate. It was wild.”
Ryder’s honesty is both shocking and yet, sadly, unsurprising in the context of Hollywood’s long. “I was lucky because I was known, so it didn’t happen as much as maybe it would if I had been a struggling actor,” she explained.
“But I remember this feeling in your mind: You’re negotiating, you’re thinking about what’s going to happen if you say something. You’re working it out while this person is being extremely creepy.“
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When Winona Ryder Offended Harvey Weinstein
But it wasn’t just random creeps that made Ryder uncomfortable – she also crossed paths with Harvey Weinstein. During what should have been a routine meeting, Ryder found herself inadvertently offending the powerful producer. “The one time I was supposed to have a meeting with [Weinstein], I went to the Miramax office and I extended my hand, and he shook my hand, and I sat on the couch, and we had a conversation and I left,” she recalled.
What followed was unexpected and, frankly, ridiculous. Ryder got a harsh scolding from an agent for this supposed faux pas. “I got, like, screamed at [by an agent]. ‘What the fuck did you do?’ I was like, ‘What?’ Apparently, I offended him because I extended my hand?“
In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York and was sentenced to prison. He was also convicted of rape, forced oral copulation, and third-degree sexual misconduct in California, in 2022. In April, Weinstein’s New York convictions were overturned, and he will face retrial in the fall.
Ryder, reflecting on this incident, admitted that Weinstein’s reaction left her puzzled and a bit sour on the whole experience. Harvey Weinstein’s former company, Miramax, has allegedly blocklisted Ryder. “I think I knew a little bit too much,” she mused.
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