Alison Steadman not surprised by Harvey Weinstein scandal

Alison Steadman claims she was ‘not the least surprised’ by the Harvey Weinstein scandal following her ‘absolutely horrible’ experience with the disgraced mogul.

The Gavin and Stacey actress, 78, recalled how the producer ‘wouldn’t speak’ and went as far as making a point of  of ignoring her as she was ‘not a name’.

Harvey, 72, became the most prominent villain of the #MeToo movement in 2017 when women began going public with accounts of his behaviour. 

Watch Live Sports Streaming!

He was convicted in New York and Los Angeles for a string of sex offences and had been serving a 23 year sentence, before charges were overturned after an appeals court ruled the judge made a ‘crucial’ error in the initial trial. 

Speaking to The Times Alison recalled the incident when the movie producer came to see her in West End play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice in 1993, which went on to win her an Olivier Award.

Alison Steadman, 78, claims she was ‘not the least surprised’ by the Harvey Weinstein scandal following her ‘absolutely horrible’ experience with the disgraced mogul

Convinced rapist Harvey became the most prominent villain of the #MeToo movement in 2017 when women began going public with accounts of his behaviour (pictured earlier this month) 

Alison recalled the incident when the movie producer came to see her in West End play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice in 1993, which went on to win her an Olivier Award  (pictured in the play with co-star Pete Postlewaite)

However she said Harvey just looked at her: ‘I thought “What’s going on? You’ve just seen the show and I was in it”. He wouldn’t speak to me. The next day [her co-star] Jane Horrocks said “Isn’t it great we’re doing a film version?” I said, “I don’t think I am”. I wasn’t a name, I hadn’t been nominated for a Golden Globe’.

The role of Mari Hoff in the 1998 big screen adaption was eventually played by Brenda Blethyn, 78, who was nominated for an Oscar.  

She then found herself stood next to Harvey at the Baftas: ‘ ‘Again he looked at me, If he’d ignored me that would have been one thing, but it was like he was making sure to tell me “I’m not going to use you”‘.

‘It was absolutely horrible. So when I heard all this stuff about him, I thought “I’m not in the least surprised”‘.

Actress Minnie Driver had a similar story and said her star-making turn in Good Will Hunting almost didn’t come to pass after Harvey Weinstein objected her presence in the film.

Claiming that the convicted sex offender said that ‘Nobody would want to f*** her’ ahead of production.

Last week Harvey pleaded not guilty to new sex crime charges from an accuser who has never told her story publicly but claims she is now ready to speak her truth at trial.

While awaiting retrial on other sex charges in a landmark #MeToo case he  pleaded not guilty to a new charge of forcing oral sex on a woman in a Manhattan hotel in spring 2006.

She said: ‘I thought “What’s going on? You’ve just seen the show and I was in it”. He wouldn’t speak to me. The next day [her co-star] Jane Horrocks said “Isn’t it great we’re doing a film version?” I said, “I don’t think I am” (pictured at 1993 Oliviers with Nigel Havers) 

She then found herself stood next to Harvey at the Baftas: ‘ ‘Again he looked at me, If he’d ignored me that would have been one thing, but it was like he was making sure to tell me “I’m not going to use you”‘

The role of Mari Hoff in the 1998 big screen adaption was eventually played by Brenda Blethyn (R)  78, who was nominated for an Oscar 

Alison said: ‘It was absolutely horrible. So when I heard all this stuff about him, I thought “I’m not in the least surprised”‘ 

Prosecutors released no details about the woman, and Weinstein’s lawyer said he had no idea who she is -but an attorney said that she represents the woman and that she has never made her accusation public.

‘She will be fully prepared to speak her truth at trial to hold Weinstein accountable before a jury of his peers,’ the lawyer, Lindsay Goldbrum, said in a statement. 

She said the woman doesn’t want to be identified for now, and the law firm declined to say anything more about her or her accusation.

According to the indictment and another court document, the alleged assault – the specific charge is a ‘criminal sex act’ – happened at a lower Manhattan hotel between April 29, 2006, and May 6 of that year.

Weinstein, who co-founded the film and television production company Miramax, has long maintained that he never engaged in any sexual activity that wasn’t consensual. 

Defense attorney Arthur Aidala reiterated Wednesday that his client ‘never forced himself on anyone.’

Aidala said he had ‘absolutely no clue’ about the accuser’s identity or the specifics of the allegation.

‘We have a lot of work to do. We have to find out who that person is. We have to do an investigation,’ he said outside court.

Weinstein, who is recovering from emergency surgery, came to court in a wheelchair, carrying two novels with him, and appeared to watch the proceeding intently.