“A huge relief”: Kate Beckinsale pens emotional message following Harvey Weinstein’s prison sentence

Kate Beckinsale has spoken out about Harvey Weinstein’s sentencing after a jury found the film producer guilty of sexual crimes.

Weinstein was charged yesterday (March 11) on counts of a Criminal Sexual Act in the first degree and third-degree rape. He has been sentenced to serve 23 years in a New York state prison.

Beckinsale was one of more than a hundred women who came forward with public allegations of sexual misconduct, including rape, against Weinstein since 2017. Following last night’s verdict, the British actress took to Instagram to say she was “relieved” to hear about Weinstein’s sentencing. She also alleges that she had been verbally abused by the disgraced Hollywood mogul in a 2001 incident.

In the post, Beckinsale shared photos of Weinstein and herself at the premiere of Serendipity in October 2001, “mere weeks after 9/11 with the city still smoking”. She recalled that the cast and crew had initially refused to hold the red carpet event because it “felt like the most insensitive, tone deaf, disrespectful idea possible. But Harvey insisted”.

The morning after the premiere, Beckinsale claimed Weinstein invited her to a ‘playdate’ at his house for their two young daughters. But the occasion quickly turned sour when he verbally assaulted Beckinsale, she said. She wrote that Weinstein was “livid” and started screaming at her, calling her a “cunt” for wearing a pantsuit on the red carpet event the night before.

“I had no idea what he was talking about and started to shake,” Beckinsale wrote. “He said, ‘If I am throwing a red carpet you get in a tight dress, you shake your ass you shake your tits you do not go down it looking like a fucking lesbian you stupid fucking cunt.’ The shock made me burst into tears.”

She continued, “That was one of many experiences I had that there was no recourse for, and falls under no felony. But I WAS punished for it, and for other instances where I said no to [Weinstein] for years, insidiously and seeming irreversibly.

“Hearing that he has gone to prison for 23 years is a huge relief to me on behalf of all the women he sexually assaulted or raped, and I hope will be a deterrent to that sort of behaviour in this and any other industry.”

Beckinsale ended her post with a call to end “all abuses of power and expose them and eliminate them, for all genders, forever”. Read her Instagram statement in full below.

View this post on Instagram

These photos were taken at the premiere of Serendipity on October 5,2001. We all refused to go because holding a premiere mere weeks after 9/11 with the city still smoking felt like the most insensitive, tone deaf,disrespectful idea possible .But Harvey insisted. We flew into New York and somehow got through it. The next morning Harvey called me and asked if I would like to bring my less than two year old daughter to his house for a playdate with his similar aged daughter I said ok. I turned up and he immediately called for his nanny to take the babies to another room to play. I went to go with them and he said “No, you wait here .” The minute the door closed he started screaming “you stupid fucking CUNT, you CUNT you ruined my premiere .” I had no idea what he was talking about and started to shake.He said,”If I am throwing a red carpet you get in a tight dress, you shake your ass you shake your tits you do not go down it looking like a fucking lesbian you stupid fucking cunt .” The shock made me burst into tears.I tried to say “Harvey,the city is on fire, people are still looking for their relatives none of us even felt the premiere was appropriate much less coming out dressed like it’s a bachelor party .” He said,”I don’t care -it’s my fucking premiere and if I want pussy on the red carpet that’s what I get”.Screaming. Livid. I managed to get myself and my child out of there and yes that was one of many experiences I had that there was no recourse for,and falls under no felony.But I WAS punished for it, and for other instances where I said no to him for years,insidiously and seeming irreversibly. Hearing that he has gone to prison for 23 years is a huge relief to me on behalf of all the women he sexually assaulted or raped, and I hope will be a deterrent to that sort of behavior in this and any other industry. Having said that,the crimes that are not crimes,the inhumane bullying and sick covert abuse for which there is STILL no recourse no matter who you tell(and I did tell),these too need to go.I hope and pray that we as an industry can start to actually outlaw all abuses of power and expose them and eliminate them, for all genders,forever.And Rose,brava ❤

A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale) on Mar 11, 2020 at 7:45pm PDT

Beckinsale joins other Hollywood actresses in celebrating Weinstein’s sentencing. The Silence Breakers, a group comprising 24 women who came forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual crimes, said in a statement:

“Harvey Weinstein’s legacy will always be that he’s a convicted rapist. He is going to jail – but no amount of jail time will repair the lives he ruined, the careers he destroyed, or the damage he has caused.”

The group includes Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, Rosanna Arquette and Lauren Sivan.