STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Harvey Weinstein is Calling Lupita Nyong'o A Liar

Her account was the only one he specifically responded to.

Previously, Harvey Weinstein issued a long statement in which he referenced Jay-Z lyrics and begged for a “second chance” in the film industry.

Soon after, he flew himself to Arizona to check into a sex-addiction rehabilitation center and since, more than 40 women have come out against the disgraced film producer. Each has accused him of very inappropriate behavior, including both verbal and physical sexual harassment.

Perhaps one of the most vivid accounts was Lupita Nyong’o’s. The Oscar-winning actress, in an op-ed for the New York Times, detailed a pattern of predatory behavior from Weinstein when she was still a student at the Yale School of Drama.

According to Nyong’o, one day, Weinstein invited her to his residence in Westport, Connecticut to screen a film with his family. Prior to the movie ending he insisted she leave the room with him.

“Harvey led me into a bedroom — his bedroom — and announced that he wanted to give me a massage. I thought he was joking at first. He was not,” Nyong’o relayed in the piece. “For the first time since I met him, I felt unsafe.”

Over the next several years, Nyong’o says her boundaries were heavily overstepped Weinstein. It all culminated during a meal in New York during which Weinstein propositioned her, and when she turned him down, he hinted that her acting career would suffer, according to the op-ed.

Surprisingly, after Nyong’o’s detailed public description of encounters with Weinstein, the accused released a more specific statement in response to Lupita’s essay, calling her out by her first name and claiming she was telling lies.

“Mr. Weinstein has a different recollection of the events, but believes Lupita is a brilliant actress and a major force for the industry,” a representative for Weinstein told E! News. “Last year, she sent a personal invitation to Mr. Weinstein to see her in her Broadway show Eclipsed.”

The statement is enraging people for many reasons. Some accuse him of victim blaming, while others claim racism is at work since Nyong’o, so far, is the only black woman who’s accused Weinstein of sexual harassment.

Since the statement was released, actress Rose McGowan blasted Harvey Weinstein for disputing Nyong’o’s accounts. She took to Twitter to relay her displeasure and issued a threat.

“Watch out HW, if you come for one of us, you come for all of us. #ROSEARMY #LupitaNyongo,” she tweeted, then followed up with the tweet, “Dear Monster, here come the girls.”

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.