Kate Winslet says she intentionally snubbed Harvey Weinstein in Oscars speech
When Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her role in "The Reader" in 2009, she did not mention Harvey Weinstein, whose company backed the movie. On Saturday, she revealed that the omission was intentional.
"That was deliberate. That was absolutely deliberate," told the Los Angeles Times.
She said, "I remember being told. 'Make sure you thank Harvey if you win.' And I remember turning around and saying, 'No I won't. No I won't.' And it was nothing to do with not being grateful. If people aren't well-behaved, why would I thank him?"
Winslet said that Weinstein's behavior surrounding "The Reader" was "disgraceful," but had nothing to do with sexual harassment. She did not elaborate, instead saying she did not want to open a "can of worms."
Winslet said that she felt Weinstein tried to manipulate her by constantly reminding her that his former company, Miramax, produced her first movie, "Heavenly Creatures."
"For my whole career, Harvey Weinstein, whenever I've bumped into him, he'd grab my arm and say, 'Don't forget who gave you your first movie,'" she said. "Like I owe him everything. Then later, with 'The Reader,' same thing, 'I'm gonna get you that Oscar nomination, I'm gonna get you a win, I'm gonna win for you.'"
Winslet called the disgraced film mogul "bullying and nasty."
She told the LA Times, "I hope that Harvey Weinstein absolutely is punished within the fullest extent of the law should that be the case."
