Harvey Weinstein Allegedly Fired Sophie Okonedo Because She Wasn’t Sexy Enough For Him to Pursue
It looks like the now-notorious Harvey Weinstein allegedly offended yet another actress, but this time the accusations actually aren’t of sexual harassment...well kinda. Instead, Sophie Okonedo is accusing Weinstein of firing her from a project for not being “f*ckable.”
Yes, you read that right. The renowned producer is being outed for his reported hiring and firing decisions based on whether he wants to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF his actresses. At this point, it’s not surprising, but it’s still pretty horrifying and despicable.
Sophie Okonedo was up for the lead role of Weinstein’s 1997 movie, B. Monkey. She was chosen for the role by filmmaker Michael Caton-Jones, but Weinstein allegedly vetoed the choice because he didn’t believe that Okonedo was f*ckable. He REALLY USED that word according to Okonedo. The argument led to both Caton-Jones and Okonedo being booted from the project.
Wait, the story gets EVEN WORSE. The role ended up going to Asia Argento, an Italian actress. She ACCUSED WEINSTEIN OF RAPE along with a slew of other actresses. One could say that Okonedo dodged a bullet by being kicked off the project, but it’s hardly fair that actresses have to choose between artistic success or avoiding assault!!!
(@asiaargento via Instagram)
Keep in mind that Weinstein is considered to be an extremely powerful man in Hollywood. Who knows HOW MANY actresses tolerated his behavior for the sake of their careers?
The idea that actresses, and black actresses in particular, have been excluded from certain roles because directors and producers don’t want to f**k them -- or just don’t think that they CAN -- is not a new one. How twisted is it that racism causes black women to be spared from some of the rampant misogyny of the industry? However, it’s NOT that simple.
Other black actresses—like Lupita Nyong’o and Tessa Thompson—have spoken out about Weinstein’s inappropriate treatment of them. BOTH women ended up turning down projects just to avoid working with Weinstein, which leads us back to the idea that women have to choose their self-respect over their careers. Any way you slice it, it’s simply UNACCEPTABLE.
According to Caton-Jones, “Everyone around us pretty much knew what the score was.” It’s impossible to blame any ONE person for Weinstein getting away with this behavior, but it’s disappointing that so many men stood by and let it happen. Let’s be thankful that the truth is coming out now.
