Almost two months ago, The New York Times published an article that accuses Harvey Weinstein, a famous movie producer in Hollywood, of sexual harassment.
After the publication of this article, many actresses and employees who work at Weinstein’s companies have opened up about the way in which the producer treated them.
Two days ago, Salma Hayek, the Mexican-American actress of Lebanese descent, published her account titled “Harvey Weinstein Is My Monster Too” on The New York Times.
The famous actress worked with Weinstein on the award-winning movie “Frida” that revolves around the life of the renowned Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
In his eyes, I was not an artist. I wasn’t even a person. I was a thing: not a nobody, but a body.
Salma Hayek
Hayek and Weinstein’s production company Miramax produced the movie. However, the Hollywood actress had a hard time producing the film because of Weinstein’s sexual demands and threats.
In an attack of fury, he said the terrifying words, “I will kill you, don’t think I can’t.”
Salma Hayek
He threatened her to stop production because there was not enough sex appeal in the film.
He told me that the only thing I had going for me was my sex appeal and that there was none of that in this movie.
Salma Hayek
The movie eventually won two Oscars and earned over 56 million dollars.
In her essay, Salma Hayek sheds light on the struggle of females artists in the film industry.
She also mentions that there is gender inequality in this industry where only four percent of the directors are female and that “27 percent of words spoken in the biggest movies were spoken by women.”
Hayek states that as long as there is gender inequality, the “community will continue to be a fertile ground for predators.”
You can read her full essay here.