Amid increasing allegations, a Russian actress claimed Thursday that former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed her at the Venice Film Festival in 2004.
Roskino Katya Mtsitouridze, the hostess of popular Russian TV show “This is Cinema,” claimed that the alleged encounter with Weinstein made her feel “frozen,” in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
Mtsitouridze said she first met the Weinstein at the Berlin film festival while doing an interview with George Clooney.
“He came up to me saying that he liked my questions and would love to have lunch in his room — that he loved Russian culture, especially Chekhov, and that his grandparents were originally from Russia — and that we could have an interesting conversation,” Mtsitouridze said. “I was surprised and told him, rather ironically, that, of course, it would be an honor, but I was afraid my boyfriend would not be happy about our cultural tete-a-tete, but if he wished to invite him, there would be no problem.”
Weinstein reportedly gave Mtsitouridze his number and told her that he would be waiting on her call, at one point even offering to fly her to New York City.
During the Venice Film Festival of 2004, Weinstein allegedly invited Mtsitouridze to his room after a party, saying that “he had a great idea for working with contemporary Russian writers.” Mtsitouridze asked to instead meet in a public area, but Weinstein switched their meeting to a hotel room, claiming that he was sick. He allegedly greeted the Russian starlet in a bathrobe and asked for a message.
“I was frozen into immobility like a statue, because a well-known producer with whom I’ve come to discuss modern Russian writers, was in a bathrobe,” Mtsitouridze said.
“I waited for the masseuse, but she’s late. We can have fun without her. Let’s relax,” Weinstein said.
When a waiter entered the room bringing an ice bucket for champagne, Mtsitouridze bolted out of the hotel room.
During another film festival years later, Weinstein allegedly pulled the actress aside, saying, “Don’t even think about saying anything. Forget all about it. Be a smart girl,” Mtsitouridze said.
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