American Pie star Shannon Elizabeth claims Harvey Weinstein threatened to end her career

American Pie star Shannon Elizabeth has opened up about her experience working around Harvey Weinstein, alleging the disgraced Hollywood producer once threatened to destroy her career.

Elizabeth shot to fame in 1999 after playing Czech exchange student Nadia from the first American Pie film, a role that quickly turned her into one of the era’s biggest comedy stars.

The success led to further major parts, including Buffy Gilmore in Scary Movie and a role in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, whilst signing a three-picture deal with Miramax.

However, Elizabeth has now reflected on what happened behind the scenes during that period, describing the protection she says she received from people close to her when dealing with Weinstein.

The actress said the tension eventually escalated beyond uncomfortable professional encounters.

Speaking to Variety, Elizabeth alleged: “Harvey did threaten my career.”

She believes the fallout also affected her lack of a future in the Scary Movie franchise beyond the first film (Christopher Polk / Contributor/Getty Images)

She claimed Weinstein told her representation something to the effect of: “Lose my number. Don’t ever call me again about her or I’ll end her career.”

Elizabeth said her manager and then-husband Joseph D. Reitman had been particularly protective of her when it came to the producer.

She said: “We did have some run-ins with Harvey, but my manager and my ex, Joe, were both very protective of me.”

“So, when occasions arose that could have gone very wrong, they didn’t allow it to happen. If I was invited to meet Harvey somewhere, they would say no.”

According to Variety, Elizabeth’s relationship with Weinstein also deteriorated amid a disagreement over whether she would pose for a men’s magazine whilst promoting Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

The actress had initially signed that three-picture deal with Miramax, but the agreement ended after she appeared in just two films. Elizabeth believes the fallout may also have affected another major part of her career, claiming there was a reason she never returned to the Scary Movie franchise following the 2000 original.

She said: “I think there’s a definite reason they didn’t [bring me back].”

Weinstein has denied allegations of non-consensual sex throughout the proceedings (Pool/Pool/Getty Images)

Elizabeth’s claims add to the long list of accusations made against Weinstein, who was once one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood.

More than 80 women came forward with allegations against him, and Weinstein has denied allegations of non-consensual sex.

He was convicted in California of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

His 2020 New York conviction was overturned in 2024 after the state’s highest court ruled he had not received a fair trial, though he remained behind bars because of the separate California sentence.

For Elizabeth, despite what happened with Miramax, the wide success of American Pie had still made her an international name — just like the ‘Sherminator’, whose actor now lives a life away from the spotlight.

The film grossed more than $235 million against an $11 million budget and became one of the defining teen comedies of its era.