Actor Jason Priestley has come forward with a story about punching disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in the face amid new allegations of a Hollywood smear campaign.
Earlier this week (beg11Dec17) The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson revealed he did not cast actresses Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino, who have both come forward with claims of sexual misconduct against the former Miramax executive, in the film franchise after receiving pressure from Weinstein to pass on the leading ladies.
"After this meeting we were told by Miramax to steer clear of both Ashley and Mira, because they claimed to have had 'bad experiences' with these particular actresses in the past," Jackson recalled. "Nearly 20 years later, we read about the sexual misconduct allegations being made against Harvey Weinstein and we saw comments by both Mira and Ashley, who felt they had been blacklisted by Miramax after rejecting Harvey’s sexual advances."
"If we were unwitting accomplices in harming their careers, (producer) Fran and I unreservedly apologise to both Ashley and Mira," he added.
Following Peter's apology, Oscar-winning actress Mira took to Twitter on Friday (15Dec17) to reveal she "burst out crying" reading the filmmaker's words, noting he confirmed her fears "that Harvey Weinstein derailed my career".
And Canadian actress Tara Strong followed Sorvino's lead by pointing out she suspected Weinstein did the same thing to actor Jason Priestley when the men became involved in a 1995 altercation.
"Heartbreaking....wouldn’t be surprised if this happened to my good friend @Jason_Priestley who punched Weinstein in the face at a club one night," Strong tweeted.
Priestley, who achieved fame in the 1990s on TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, responded to his friend's blacklisting concerns by detailing the moment when he and Weinstein allegedly got physical.
"Of course there is more to the story... ‘95 Golden Globes... at the Miramax Party... Harvey told me I had to leave... I was leaving when he grabbed me by the arm and said ' what are you doing?' I said ' you told me leave, I’m leaving'," the 48-year-old star recounted on Twitter. "'I didn’t say you had to leave' he (Weinstein) replied. 'You just told me to leave... right over there' I tell him once again. Getting heated now. He then grabs me tighter and says 'why don’t we go outside and talk about this'. That was all I needed to hear."
"'I’m not going anywhere with you' I said as I pushed him back and punched him with a right hand to his face," Jason continued his account. "Suddenly, there were security guards pulling us apart and I was escorted out of the party..."
The actor did not reveal why he was asked to leave the event.
