Harvey Weinstein has been accused of using bullying tactics to turn his wife Georgina Chapman into a film star at the start of their relationship in the early 2000s.
The Marchesa designer, now 41, was a budding actress when she met Weinstein in 2004 and quickly started landing bit parts in the films his company produced, including a small role as a prostitute named Candy in Derailed alongside Clive Owen.
A New York Daily News report from 2005, unearthed by Jezebel, revealed how the shamed producer forced director Mikael Hafstrom to thank Georgina by name in his speech at the premiere, alongside major stars such as Jennifer Aniston.
The paper described how the director had ‘a close encounter of the Harvey kind’ after name checking cast members including Clive Owen and Vincent Cassel.
According to the gossip colum: ‘Then he yielded the microphone, only to return a few minutes later. “I, um, meant to include Georgina Chapman, who is also in the movie,” Hafstrom said sheepishly, as audience members tittered.
‘The 30-ish Chapman, who plays a hooker in the film, is Harvey Weinstein’s girlfriend.’
Harvey Weinstein’s wife Georgina Chapman was a budding actress when they met and soon started landing bit parts in films produced by his companies, including Derailed in which she played a prostitute called Candy
The fashion designer was on screen for just a few minutes, but Weinstein reportedly later insisted that the director thank her by named in his speech at the premiere
Chapman has been in hiding with her two children but earlier this week she announced she was separating from her shamed husband
Georgina’s appearance on screen was confined to a few minutes, but she did get to act alongside Clive Owen after her character disturbed him as he tried to conceal a dead body in his car.
Candy tried to proposition him before the police arrived on the scene and suggested he give her some money for wasting her time.
The movie wasn’t Georgina’s only opportunity to showcase her skills on the big screen.
After meeting Harvey in 2004, the budding actress graduated from roles in short films and TV movies to bit parts on the big screen.
Georgina at the New York premiere of Derailed with Weinstein and Jennifer Aniston
Budding actress Georgina with Weinstein at the after party for Derailed in New York in 2005
She went on to appear in Factory Girl, Derailed, Grindhouse, and The Nanny Diaries, all executive produced by Harvey Weinstein.
However, Georgina abandoned her film career ambitions when her fashion label Marchesa began to take off.
Former Marlborough college girl Georgina who grew up in London set up the brand in 2004, the same year she met Weinstein at a party in Manhattan.
Even before the scandal over rape and sexual harassment allegations broke, she faced the accusations that the label was only successful thanks to her husband’s Hollywood connections.
Weinstein reportedly forced director Mikael Hafstrom to give Georgina a name check as one of the stars of Derailed, while thanking A-listers such as Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen
Georgina gave up on her film career ambitions when her Marchesa label took off, but has always faced accusations its success was down to her husband’s connections
But this week an LA-based publicist has told the Hollywood Reporter that Weinstein threatened to pull publicity funding from Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman’s 2005 film Trasnamerica if she didn’t wear Marchesa on the red carpet.
She obliged by turning up for her high profile appearance at the Golden Globes where she was nominated for both her movie and Desperate Housewives in a flowing white Marchesa gown.
Another publicist recalled that Sienna Miller was told Harvey ‘would be very upset if she didn’t wear Marchesa’ when invited to sit at Harvey’s table at the Golden Globes in 2007 after starring in the Weinstein-produced Factory Girl.
Fashion insiders have questioned whether a brand that seemingly built its success thanks to the bullying actions of a sexual predator will survive – not to mention his significant financial investment.
She is currently in hiding with her two children, but announced earlier this week that she is separating from her husband due to his ‘unforgivable’ actions.
Sienna Miller was reportedly forced to wear a Marchesa gown to the Golden Globes in 2007 because she was sittin on a table with Weinstein and Georgina