Asia Argento delivered a scathing speech about Harvey Weinstein and issued a terse warning to similar sexual predators during the closing ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival Saturday.
“In 1997, I was raped by Harvey Weinstein here at Cannes,” the actress said before presenting the Best Actress Award. “I was 21 years old. This festival was his hunting ground. I want to make a prediction: Harvey Weinstein will never be welcomed here ever again.”
Argento added, “He will live in disgrace, shunned by a film community that once embraced him and covered up for his crimes.”
The Italian actress first revealed that she had been raped by Weinstein in The New Yorker exposé about the disgraced Weinstein Company producer’s history of sexual assault. Argento also admitted that an attempted rape scene in her 2000 film Scarlet Diva was based on the incident.
After calling out Weinstein, Argento issued a similar warning to others in the film industry that have committed sexual misconduct.
“And even tonight, sitting among you, there are those who still have to be held accountable for their conduct against women for behavior that does not belong in this industry or workplace,” Argento said. “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.”
Following Argento’s speech and the presentation of the award, this year’s Cannes jury president Cate Blanchett said, “It is hard to stand as a woman,” the Hollywood Reporter writes.
Le puissant discours d’@AsiaArgento pendant la cérémonie de clôture de Cannes. « J’ai été violée ici en 1997 par Harvey Weinstein ». ?? pic.twitter.com/Qn1uguRzP4
— Hugo Clément (@hugoclement) May 19, 2018
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