Harvey Weinstein claims Gwyneth Paltrow 'owes her career to him' as he addresses former friendship
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has blasted Gwyneth Paltrow, claiming she 'owes her career to me' in a shocking first jailhouse interview.
Speaking from custody at Rikers Island, the former Hollywood producer used his time back in the spotlight to revisit old relationships, deny the most serious allegations against him, and claim that many of the people he once considered close have turned their backs on him.
Among the biggest names he mentioned was Paltrow, who has previously spoken publicly about an alleged encounter with Weinstein early in her career.
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Addressing that history, Weinstein told The Hollywood Reporter: "Because she was a good friend of mine. I don’t know what drove her to do what she did. To make such a big deal over nothing."
He went on to describe his version of events, saying: "I walked out of a nice meeting with her and said, ‘How about a massage?’ And she just went, ‘No, I don’t think so’. I got the message. I never put my hands on her."
The 73-year-old claimed that Brad Pitt, who Paltrow was dating and subsequently got engaged to after meeting on the set of Se7en in 1994 before eventually calling it quits in 1997, had stern words for him.
"She told Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt came to me and said, ‘Don’t do anything like that with my girl.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry, Brad. I got it’," he added.
Weinstein also slammed the 53-year-old Shakespeare in Love star for speaking out against him during the #MeToo movement - which contributed to his downfall.
Paltrow alleged that Weinstein asked for a massage in his hotel room after she was cast in 1996's Emma when she was 22.
The former The Weinstein Company boss was jailed following allegations that emerged during the movement which led to criminal investigations, trials, and convictions in New York and Los Angeles, resulting in prison sentences for sex crimes.
He said: "But then Gwyneth goes on Howard Stern and The New York Times and makes a big deal about it all. She knows that nothing happened. But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back. She wanted to be part of the crowd. I won’t forgive her for that."
Elsewhere in the interview, Weinstein described prison life as 'hell', revealing that he spends almost all of his time in his cell, with limited human contact outside of guards, nurses, lawyers, and family members.
Weinstein continued to deny sexually assaulting women, while admitting that some of his behavior had been wrong. He said: "Did I make a pass at some of these women unsuccessfully? Did I overplay my hand? Yes. Was I pushy or overly seductive? Yes to all of that."
He added: "I overstepped my boundaries. That’s for sure. I could be a horrible bully."
Still, Weinstein insisted he never committed the crimes many women have accused him of, despite convictions and continuing legal battles that followed the allegations first made public in 2017.
UNILAD has contacted representatives of Paltrow for comment.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
Topics: Gwyneth Paltrow, Hollywood, Celebrity
Joe Yates