Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o has added her voice to sexual harassment and abuse allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein, saying she had an encounter with him in 2011 at his home in Connecticut.
Nyong'o says Weinstein invited her there to screen a film while she was a student at the Yale School of Drama. In an op-ed for The New York Times published yesterday, Nyong'o says Weinstein asked if he could give her a massage and that she gave him one instead. She says he tried to remove his pants and after several of her protestations, she left.
Nyong'o, who said she's speaking up to end the conspiracy of silence, described several other encounters with him over the years, including some propositions. She says she later declined an offer to appear in one of his movies.
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Meanwhile, Los Angeles police say they are investigating a possible sexual assault case against Weinstein, the first involving the producer in the city. A police spokesman says the department has interviewed a possible sexual assault victim who reported an incident that occurred in 2013.
Police in New York and London are also investigating the fallen movie mogul over allegations of sex abuse in those cities. Weinstein's representative Sallie Hofmeister says the Oscar-winner cannot address anonymous claims but "unequivocally denies allegations of non-consensual sex."
Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment or abuse by more than three dozen women, including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie.
