Asia Argento Declares ‘I Was Raped by Harvey Weinstein’ in Powerful Cannes Speech

Asia Argento Declares 'I Was Raped by Harvey Weinstein' in Powerful Cannes Speech

"I want to make a prediction: Harvey Weinstein will never be welcomed here ever again," Argento tells the audience of Hollywood insiders.

While most of the world was busy obsessing over the royal wedding on Saturday, Asia Argento shared her rape allegations against Harvey Weinstein in a powerful speech at the Cannes Film Festival, which she described as the disgraced film mogul's "hunting ground."

"In 1997 I was raped by Harvey Weinstein here at Cannes," the Italian actress and filmmaker said during the closing ceremony at the festival. "I was 21 years old. The festival was his hunting ground. I want to make a prediction: Harvey Weinstein will never be welcomed here ever again. He will live in disgrace, shunned by a film community that once embraced him and covered up for his crimes."

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"Even tonight sitting among you, there are those that need to be held accountable for their conduct against women," Argento continued. "For behavior that does not belong in this industry, does not belong in any industry or workplace. You know who you are. But most importantly, we know who you are. And we’re not going to allow you to get away with it any longer."

Discours très fort et très applaudi de l'actrice d'Asia Argento en ce début de Cérémonie de Clôture avant l'annonce du prix d'interprétation féminine.
🎬 Vivez le 71ème #FestivalDeCannes sur myCANAL > https://t.co/i22ZzfViGr #Cannes2018 pic.twitter.com/P1n9GcjCtO

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) May 19, 2018

The powerful speech, which took place while Argento and writer-director Ava DuVernay were presenting the Best Actress award, was followed by roars of applause from the crowd.

Argento had previously spoke out about her sexual assault during the height of the #MeToo movement this past fall, when dozens of women were coming forward to share their own allegations against Weinstein and other powerful men in the film industry.

Argento claimed Weinstein asked her to give him a massage in a France hotel in 1997 and she reluctantly agreed out of fear, then the producer forced her legs apart and performed oral sex on her, even though she repeatedly told him to stop.

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"I was not willing," the actress told the New Yorker. "I said, 'No, no, no.' . . . It’s twisted. A big fat man wanting to eat you. It’s a scary fairy tale."

"The thing with being a victim is I felt responsible," she said at the time. "Because if I were a strong woman, I would have kicked him in the balls and run away. But I didn’t. And so I felt responsible."

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