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Babysitter: Harvey Weinstein interviewed me in his underwear

DISGRACED Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein interviewed a prospective babysitter wearing only his underwear and ended the chat with a lingering hug.

HARVEY Weinstein interviewed a prospective babysitter inside one of his posh homes wearing only his underwear, the woman claims in a new report.

Back in 2008, actor, comedian and writer Sarah Ann Masse interviewed for a job to watch Weinstein’s three kids from his first marriage as a means to support herself as she pursued her acting career in New York City, Variety reported.

After about a month of pre-interviews with Weinstein’s assistants, Masse was invited to one of Weinstein’s homes in Westport, Connecticut, for an in-person interview, according to the report.

When Masse arrived, she was immediately taken aback by Weinstein’s attire.

“Harvey Weinstein opened the door in his boxer shorts and an undershirt,” she told Variety. “My first thought was, ‘Oh, this is weird. Maybe he forgot this interview is happening. Maybe he thought I was the mailman. I’m sure he’ll be embarrassed and excuse himself and get changed.’ But he didn’t.”

Instead, he guided Masse into the living room, where he conducted the entire interview in his underwear, according to the report.

“I tried to tell myself it was just an odd quirk, that it was fine, and to keep going with the interview,” she said.

Powerful figure … Harvey Weinstein. Picture: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
Powerful figure … Harvey Weinstein. Picture: Andy Kropa/Invision/APSource:AP

When two of Weinstein’s children ran into the room, curious about who was visiting, Weinstein screamed at them to leave and not return until Masse left, which she found “really weird”, she told the outlet.

“I’ve interviewed for a lot of nanny jobs and [the parents] were always eager for me to meet the children and see how I interacted with them,” Masse said. “He had this big burst of anger. I knew he had a reputation for being tough and intimidating, but I still thought it was odd.”

Then he asked her if she thought being a nanny would conflict with her emerging acting career. She told him that was not the case and that she would never conduct herself in a way that would advance her acting career while working as a nanny, according to the report.

“Then he said, ‘OK’, smiled at me, and said, ‘You would never flirt with my friends or anyone to get ahead?’” Masse told Variety. “And I said ‘Absolutely not, I would never feel comfortable with that’.”

When the interview ended, Masse expected a handshake. Instead, Weinstein gave her “this really tight, close hug that lasted for quite a long period of time”.

“He was still in his underwear,” she added. “Then he told me he loved me. I left right after that.”

Upon leaving, Masse said she “didn’t feel right about it”, but initially assumed that was the way bigwigs in the entertainment industry acted, according to the report.

A couple days later, Weinstein’s assistant told Masse that Weinstein decided not to hire her because she was an actor.

“It felt like I dodged a bullet,” she told Variety.

Weinstein’s reps did not respond to Variety’s request for comment.

Rose McGowan emerged from a brief suspension on Twitter on Thursday to offer her most pointed accusation that she was sexually abused by film mogul Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein's representative says the producer denies he engaged in ‘any non-consensual contact’. Picture: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Rose McGowan emerged from a brief suspension on Twitter on Thursday to offer her most pointed accusation that she was sexually abused by film mogul Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein's representative says the producer denies he engaged in ‘any non-consensual contact’. Picture: Richard Shotwell/Invision/APSource:AP

When The Connecticut Post informed Westport Police of Masse’s claim, asking if she or anyone else had contacted them or filed any sexual complaints against Weinstein, Lieutenant Jillian Cabana, the department’s detective commander, responded in an email that “we have received no such reports”.

Weinstein sexually harassed actors and female assistants over the past three decades— including Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd — and paid off at least eight women to settle complaints about his lewd behaviour, according to a bombshell exposé last week.

Masse said she felt empowered to share her experience with Weinstein after hearing of other women coming forward, according to the report.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and is republished with permission

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

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