Dec. 15 (UPI) — Peter Jackson says Harvey Weinstein blacklisted Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino while he was pitching the “Lord of the Rings” movies in the late 1990s.
The 56-year-old New Zealand filmmaker, who directed the trilogy, said in an interview with Stuff that Weinstein told him to avoid casting Judd and Sorvino while he was in talks with the producer’s company Miramax.
“I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998,” Jackson said of the casting process for the movies, which were ultimately produced by New Line Cinema.
“At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us — but in hindsight, I realize this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing,” he added. “I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women — and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list.”
Judd and Sorvino are among the numerous women who have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment and abuse over the past few months. The actresses reacted to Jackson’s remarks on Twitter this week.
“I remember this well,” Judd wrote Thursday alongside a link to the interview.
“Just seeing this after I awoke, I burst out crying,” Sorvino confessed Friday. “There it is, confirmation that Harvey Weinstein derailed my career, something I suspected but was unsure. Thank you Peter Jackson for being honest. I’m just heartsick.”
Just seeing this after I awoke, I burst out crying. There it is, confirmation that Harvey Weinstein derailed my career, something I suspected but was unsure. Thank you Peter Jackson for being honest. I’m just heartsick https://twitter.com/rt_falconer/status/941434147158896640 …
Actress Salma Hayek is among Weinstein’s other accusers. The Mexican-American star said in an op-ed published this week that Weinstein pressured her to film a lesbian sex scene in the movie “Frida” after she rejected his sexual advances.
