Lena Headey's career harmed for refusing sex with Harvey Weinstein
Lena Headey is best known for playing the cold and calculating Queen Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones. Although a master of using her sexuality for manipulation, on the HBO show, Headey herself claims to have fallen victim to a much more dangerous predator, Harvey Weinstein, in real life. She believes that refusing sex with Weinstein could have harmed her career. Here's more.
Refusal to have sex saw lack of roles from Miramax
Headey, the British actor, said her refusal to have sex with Weinstein must have ultimately hurt her career since it saw a lack of roles offered to her by Miramax Studios, which used to belong to the disgraced film producer. For those unaware, Weinstein's name came up during #MeToo, with several women saying how he exploited his position within the industry to demand sex.
'Maybe because I didn't shag him, that's impacted my work'
Headey was quoted saying, "After he was discovered to be a slimeball, on a grander scale than me just knowing it, I did start thinking, 'F***, maybe because I didn't shag him, that's impacted a decade of my working life', because I did two jobs for Miramax [the film company founded by Weinstein] before those incidents, and after that there was nothing".
Headey had earlier recounted her sleazy encounters with Weinstein
In wake of the allegations, Headey had previously spoken of her encounters with Weinstein. The first was at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 when Weinstein took her for a walk by the water and 'made some suggestive comment and gesture'. The second was in Los Angeles when Weinstein wanted to show her a script in his hotel room and the "energy shifted".
Headey's refusal was met with Weinstein silencing her
Headey stood her ground when she realized the producer's ulterior motives and clearly told Weinstein, "I'm not interested in anything other than work, please don't think I got in [the lift] with you for any other reason". Weinstein was quick to ensure Headey's silence and whispered in her ear, telling her, "Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent".
