Winona Ryder Says ‘I Got Screamed At’ by an Agent for Allegedly Offending Harvey Weinstein in a Meeting; She Got Asked: ‘What the F— Did You Just Do?’

As a supporter and admirer of Winona Ryder’s career, I find it deeply saddening to learn about her experiences with Harvey Weinstein and the alleged industry-wide blacklisting she faced because she dared to stand up for herself. It is heartbreaking to know that even someone as accomplished as Ryder was not spared from the rampant sexual harassment that has plagued Hollywood for far too long.

In a recent conversation with Esquire, Winona Ryder expressed that she believed herself to be “shunned” by Miramax during the late ’90s and early 2000s due to several factors, one of which was an encounter with Harvey Weinstein, the company’s co-founder. This meeting apparently upset him. It’s worth noting that Weinstein controlled Miramax until 2005, and he is now serving time in prison for sexual misconduct.

“Once, when I was scheduled to meet with [Harvey Weinstein], I went to the Miramax office and offered a handshake. He reciprocated, and we sat on a couch for a chat before I left. Later on, I faced a stern reprimand from my agent: ‘What in the world did you do?’ I was puzzled as I didn’t understand why until I found out that I had offended him by extending my hand…apparently.”

By then in her professional journey, Ryder had previously collaborated on Miramax’s 1993 film “The House of the Spirits.” She vividly recalled Weinstein persistently knocking on her trailer during the production, insisting she be cast in the movie adaptation of the stage play “Little Voice,” which was a rumor.

“Ryder exclaimed, ‘Wow, I’ve just seen something similar in London!’ He then suggested, ‘You should definitely consider Jane Horrocks for the role; she’s simply remarkable.’ However, his response was rather strange and he walked away.”

“He did not like me,” Ryder added.

During her career as an actress in her twenties and thirties, Ryder faced sexual harassment instead of any sexual misconduct by Weinstein. She openly shared about some challenging encounters she had with a few individuals who were clearly engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior towards her.

“Ryder stated that the incident wasn’t an attack, but it was highly unacceptable. He described it as a wild and unsettling experience. Upon reflection, he acknowledged the experiences of victims like Weinstein’s, expressing empathy. He felt fortunate due to his known status which may have minimized such incidents, but as an actor, he still had moments of unease. In these instances, he was constantly calculating the potential consequences of speaking up while enduring someone’s inappropriate behavior.”

Ryder shared with her “Beetlejuice” co-star Jenna Ortega some of the experiences she had gone through. As she was expressing them, she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, that’s truly disturbing.”

“She recalled laughing off awkward advances or handsy behavior while under the influence as, ‘Oh, ha-ha!’ You often react like that in such situations. The inappropriateness, I could handle. However, any physical contact, especially invading my personal space, was a clear violation and felt extremely intrusive.”

Head over to Esquire’s website to read Ryder’s cover story in its entirety.

2024-08-30 00:46

Winona Ryder Says ‘I Got Screamed At’ by an Agent for Allegedly Offending Harvey Weinstein in a Meeting; She Got Asked: ‘What the F— Did You Just Do?’

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