The Italian press have been accused of ridiculing and ‘sl**-shaming’ Harvey Weinstein’s victims by calling them ‘divas’ and insinuating that they are similar to prostitutes.
Two well known Italians – actress Asia Argento and model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez – are among those to have accused the Hollywood film mogul of sexually harassing them.
Argento spoke out last week saying Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in 1997 when she was 21 in his hotel room during the Cannes film festival.
She revealed that Fabrizio Lombardo, who once headed Miramax’s operations in Italy, was the one to take her to Weinstein’s room.
The Italian press have been accused of ridiculing and ‘sl**-shaming’ Harvey Weinstein’s victims including Italian actress Asia Argento (above last week in France)
‘He told me it was a Miramax party. Only Harvey was there,’ Argento said.
Ever since she spoke out against Weinstein and publicly named Lombardo, Argento says she has been targeted by the Italian media and ‘sl**-shamed’.
‘I am being shamed by the Italian media, which is medieval,’ she told Variety.
She said it was part of the ‘Italian mentality’ given that until the 1960s ‘you could kill your wife and it was called murder of honor, if she had cheated’.
‘Until 1996 rape was considered a crime against morals, not against a person,’ she added.
Argento revealed on Twitter that she plans to sue Milan-based newspaper Libero over an opinion column that she claims harms her reputation and insults her dignity as a woman.
Argento revealed on Twitter that she plans to sue Milan-based newspaper Libero over an opinion column that she claims harms her reputation and insults her dignity as a woman
Other articles by Italian outlets (above) have used scantily clad photos of Argento from a 2007 film she starred in called Go-Go Tales instead of shots from other more famous movie roles
This opinion column has the title that translates to First I Give It Away, Then I Whine and Pretend to Repent. It features a photo of Argento from a 2007 film she starred in called Go-Go Tales
The article, which has the title that translates to First I Give It Away, Then I Whine and Pretend to Repent, suggests that falling for the bosses advances to get ahead in a career is prostitution and not rape.
That specific column, as well as other articles by Italian outlets, have used scantily clad photos of Argento from a 2007 film she starred in called Go-Go Tales instead of shots from other more famous movie roles.
Other mainstream media outlets, including La Repubblica and Rai News, have also sometimes opted to describe Weinstein’s victims as ‘divas’.
Weinstein’s other Italian accuser, Battilana Gutierrez – who was involved in an undercover NYPD operation in 2015 to get Weinstein to admit on tape that he groped her breasts – says she has also been ridiculed since speaking out.
This week, Argento alleged in The New Yorker magazine that Weinstein orally raped her during an encounter in 1997. It is unclear, however, if Lombardo helped arrange that meeting. Argento tweeted a photo of herself on Sunday she says was taken a few months before the incident
Weinstein’s other Italian accuser, Battilana Gutierrez – who was involved in an undercover NYPD operation in 2015 to get Weinstein to admit on tape that he groped her breasts – says she has also been ridiculed since speaking out
She said in a tweet that only in Italy are victims judged and questioned, especially when they go up against the Titans
‘Solo in Italia sono le vittime che vengono giudicate e messe in discussione. Soprattutto quando vai contro i titani,’ she tweeted, which translates to ‘Only in Italy are victims who are judged and questioned. Especially when you go against the Titans.’
Others, including politician and TV host Vladimir Luxuria, have suggested in Italian media outlets that Weinstein’s victims could have said no when they were abused by the film mogul.
Argento told The New Yorker that she had not been able to speak out about the abuse until now because she was afraid that Weinstein would ‘crush’ her.
‘I know he has crushed a lot of people before,’ Argento said.
‘That’s why this story – in my case, it’s 20 years old, some of them are older – has never come out.’
Fabrizio Lombardo (right), who once headed Miramax’s operations in Italy, has been accused by four women of acting as a ‘fixer’ for Harvey Weinstein (left) by ‘taking care of his women needs, among other things’. Lombardo this week denied the accusations