Dame Angela Lansbury has asserted that women ‘must sometimes take blame’ in sexual harassment cases.
The veteran actress, 92, argued that making an effort to ‘look attractive’ has ultimately ‘backfired’ for women and it explains ‘where we are today’.
Her comments follow a string of claims about inappropriate behavior in Hollywood, after more than 80 women leveled sexual assault allegations against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.
‘There are two sides to this coin,’ Angela told Radio Times on Tuesday.
‘We have to own up to the fact that women, since time immemorial, have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive.
‘And unfortunately it has backfired on us – and this is where we are today. We must sometimes take blame, women. I really do think that.’
Harassment scandal: Dame Angela Lansbury has said women ‘must sometimes take blame’ for sexual harassment. The legendary actress made the comments wile speaking to Radio Times on Tuesday
Turbulent times: She spoke in the wake of a string of claims made about inappropriate behavior in Hollywood, after more than 80 women leveled sexual assault allegations against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, of which Uma Thurman (left) is the latest
But the veteran star said women should not have to risk sexual assault when they make themselves ‘look attractive’ and argued there was ‘no excuse’ for such behavior.
‘Although it’s awful to say we can’t make ourselves look as attractive as possible without being knocked down and raped.’
She added: ‘Should women be prepared for this? No, they shouldn’t have to be! There’s no excuse for that.’
She said sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace ‘will have to stop now’, adding: ‘I think a lot of men must be very worried at this point.’ Read the full interview in the Radio Times out now.
Her comments come as more than 80 women have accused Weinstein of harassment, including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cara Delevingne.
Rose McGowan, Asia Argento and Annabella Sciorra were some of the first to come forward and accuse the mogul of sexually harassing or assaulting them early in their careers.
Personal opinion: The veteran actress, 92, said females have always ‘gone out of their way’ to look as attractive as possible – and argued that this has ‘backfired’ for them
‘There are two sides to this coin’: Here as a young actress, the 92-year-old said: ‘We have to own up to the fact that women, since time immemorial, have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive’
Argento accused him of forcibly performing oral sex on her in the late 90s, and in a New Yorker article told Ronan Farrow that the encounter happened after she reluctantly agreed to give Weinstein a massage in his hotel room.
She claims he pulled up her skirt and pushed her legs apart and then performed oral sex on her while she begged him to stop.
The latest star to accuse Harvey is Uma Thurman, who said on social media: ‘I said I was angry recently, and I have a few reasons, #metoo, in case you couldn’t tell by the look on my face.’
She added: ‘Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators – I’m glad it’s going slowly – you don’t deserve a bullet.’
The scandal has also touched the likes of former House Of Cards star Kevin Spacey, Arrested Development actor Jeffrey Tambor and Pixar head John Lasseter who have been accused of sexual misconduct.
While the Weinstein sex scandal has been met with shock and horror by many celebrities, some have chosen to defend him.
Not impressed: But the veteran actress said females should not have to risk sexual assault when they make themselves ‘look attractive’ and argued there was ‘no excuse’ for such behavior
Out in the open: More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of harassment, including Angelina Jolie (L), Gwyneth Paltrow and Cara Delevingne (R)
Jaw-dropping: The Kill Bill star said she is ‘glad’ that Weinstein’s downfall in the public eye is ‘going slowly’ as he doesn’t ‘deserve a bullet’
Lindsay Lohan complained that Weinstein, who has admitted some, but not all, of the claims against him, was being unfairly treated in an Instagram video in October.
‘Hi, this is Lindsay Lohan,’ she said. ‘I’m in Dubai, I’m home, and I feel very bad for Harvey Weinstein right now, I don’t think it’s right what’s going on.’
She then came out swinging at Georgina Chapman, 41, who announced that she was leaving 65-year-old Weinstein, her husband of 10 years.
‘I think Georgina needs to take a stand and be there for her husband,’ Lohan, 31, said.
‘And he’s never harmed me or did anything wrong to me. We’ve done several movies together, and so I think everyone needs to stop. I think it’s wrong. So stand up.’
Jim Davidson also faced backlash after he said the accusations surrounding Weinstein were ‘unpleasant’.
He told Good Morning Britain: ‘I’m afraid men take advantage of women and women take advantage of men, that’s life.’
Accused: Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey is being investigated by police in London over two alleged assaults – one in 2005 and another in Lambeth in 2008
Fired: Spacey has been replaced by Christopher Plummer in the upcoming film All The Money In The World and fired by Netflix series House Of Cards since actor Anthony Rapp first accused the 58-year-old of harassing him when he was just 14
He added: ‘It’s not very nice the stories that are coming up, there are allegations – it’s trial by television, I’d like to see if he is arrested and if he is charged.’
The comedian was arrested in 2013 facing claims he sexually assaulted 10 women up to 25 years ago before the investigation was dropped.
Meanwhile, fashion designer Donna Karan apologized after suggesting Weinstein’s alleged victims may have been ‘asking for it’ by the way the women act and dress.
The DKNY creator was asked to weigh in on the scandal hours after the disgraced film mogul was fired from his company.
Unlike many Hollywood stars and celebs, Karan did not condemn the 65-year-old, who has been accused of sexually harassing multiple woman over the span of decades, and instead pointed the finger at his accusers.
She told a reporter: ‘I think we have to look at ourselves. Obviously, the treatment of women all over the world is something that has always had to be identified. Certainly in the country of Haiti where I work, in Africa, in the developing world, it’s been a hard time for women.
Olivia Munn, Katherine Towne, Jamie Ray Newman and two extras who worked on the set of Rush Hour 2 have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against producer Brett Ratner (above) in that expose. Ratner denied the allegations made by all five of those women
Backlash: Meanwhile, fashion designer Donna Karan apologized after suggesting Weinstein’s alleged victims may have been ‘asking for it’ by the way the women act and dress
‘To see it here in our own country is very difficult, but I also think how do we display ourselves? How do we present ourselves as women? What are we asking? Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality?
‘And what are we throwing out to our children today about how to dance and how to perform and what to wear? How much should they show?’
The Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik also apologized after being accused of blaming the victims of sexual assault.
Read the full Angela Lansbury interview in the Radio Times out now
She was criticized by Patricia Arquette, Emily Ratajkowski and Gabrielle Union for a piece she wrote for The New York Times in which she claimed she had not been targeted because of how she looks.
In the piece the actress, 41, wrote about ‘the upside of not being a “perfect 10″‘ explaining ‘I have almost no personal experience with men asking me to meetings in their hotel rooms.’
The former child star said that: ‘As a proud feminist with little desire to diet, get plastic surgery or hire a personal trainer, I have almost no personal experience with men asking me to meetings in their hotel rooms.’
She continued, saying that actors ‘who don’t represent an impossible standard of beauty have the “luxury” of being overlooked and, in many cases, ignored by men in power unless we can make them money.’
‘Nothing has been a harsher reminder that I work in an industry that profits on the exploitation of women — and not just on screen — than the accusations of Harvey Weinstein as a serial sexual assaulter, particularly of aspiring young actresses,’ the San Diego native wrote.