Vu Thu Phuong reveals she was sexually harassed by a Hollywood tycoon

Vu Thu Phuong said that in 2008, when the movie "Shanghai" was released in the US, she was invited to a hotel room by producer Harvey Weinstein and asked to "teach her how to act in hot scenes".

In a very long post on her personal page in the early morning of October 13, model and actress Vu Thu Phuong revealed surprising information. She said she was harassed by the famous producer Harvey Weinstein in 2008 after the Hollywood mogul came to Ho Chi Minh City to choose three Vietnamese actors to play supporting roles in the movie Shanghai.

At the beginning of her sharing, Vu Thu Phuong expressed her feelings upon hearing the news about Weinstein's 30-year sexual abuse scandal in Hollywood over the past week.

"Mixed emotions, not knowing whether to be happy or sad. I used to respect and love him because I saw how he worked, how he operated the machine, how he created Oscar statues and because of the way he treated me," she wrote.

The first part of Vu Thu Phuong's surprising status posted early morning on October 13.

And the actress affirmed: "But, yes, I am also a victim, a silent victim for 9 years now." According to Vu Thu Phuong, in 2008 she was invited by Harvey Weinstein to Bangkok, Thailand to play a "supporting role" in the movie Shanghai (starring Gong Li and John Cusack).

However, during filming and post-production, Vu Thu Phuong's role was shortened, with only "2 seconds of screen time" as a spy (along with Ly Nha Ky), so the actress felt disappointed and humiliated.

After the film premiere in Los Angeles (USA), the actress intended to return to Vietnam but was persuaded by the tycoon Harvey Weinstein to stay and attend the film premieres in New York and London afterwards. He promised to help her get a film contract in London (UK).

Afterwards, Vu Thu Phuong was invited by Weinstein to "meet" with him at the hotel where he was staying, with the reason "Weinstein had to go to England the next morning so he needed to take advantage of the night meeting".

Vu Thu Phuong said producer Harvey Weinstein invited her to a "meeting" at a hotel, as he did with dozens of other Hollywood actresses.

The actress recounted this "meeting" in great detail: "I sat waiting alone, feeling quite nervous because I didn't know what the new movie would be like. I flipped through a few books, when I heard a throat clearing, I looked up..."

"Everything went dark when I saw Mr. Harvey Weinstein wearing only a towel around his waist, smiling at me. While I was still hot with confusion, he asked: Are you ready to step into Hollywood?".

She continued: "Before I could answer because my mouth was still bitter, he continued: Are you willing to act in a few hot scenes? The new movie will have a few hot scenes, and I think I need to teach you a little. Don't worry, anyone, whether a star like A or C or many others, has experienced this. Consider this as a necessary experience for you to have a more solid foundation for the future. Without going through these things, it will be very difficult for you to become famous."

The passage tells in great detail how Vu Thu Phuong was sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein.

Upon hearing those words, Vu Thu Phuong admitted: "Everything inside me collapsed, what I feared also happened". She replied: "I'm sorry sir, I think Hollywood is not the place for me, can I go back to my room? I think if others know about this, it will not be good for me or you".

She described her situation at that time: "my limbs were shaking so much, I had to press one hand against the other to stop the shaking, my mind tried to think clearly". She thought: "If he really raped or killed me at this moment, would anyone know and intervene? The feeling was really terrible, my head was tense, I felt like my nerves could snap immediately".

But Vu Thu Phuong said Weinstein did not continue to force her but said: "I will not force you, you can go back to your room and think about it, we can sign the next film contract in London."

Returning to her room, Vu Thu Phuong immediately decided to fly back to Vietnam the next morning. The next day, she had a typical New York breakfast (like in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's) and said goodbye to her Hollywood dream.

Vu Thu Phuong was born in 1985, is a model and film actress. She used to be the representative of The Weinstein Company in Vietnam. Once a successful model in the Vietnamese fashion industry, she entered the film industry and acted in a number of films such as Vo Lam Truyen Ky (2007), Love Story of Advertising Company (2008), Co Nang Bat Di (2009), Thuong Hai (2010), Giao Lo Dinh Menh - Inferno (2010), Hoang Tu Ban Beggar (2011), Khat Vong Thuong Luu (2011)...

She is currently the owner of several fashion brands and culinary businesses in Ho Chi Minh City.

Shanghai was filmed in 2008, released in China in 2010 but was delayed until 2015. The film is produced by The Weinstein Company, with Harvey Weinstein as executive producer, and stars Gong Li, John Cusack, and Chow Yun Fat.

On the Vietnamese side, Ly Nha Ky and Vu Thu Phuong participated in playing two roles but only "passed on screen for 2 seconds". In 2010, this information caused a stir in public opinion because before that, the two actresses had promoted their role in Shanghai quite loudly.

Harvey Weinstein's Hollywood sexual abuse scandal: More than 20 victims have spoken out

On October 6, the New York Times published a shocking investigation into the sexual abuse of many Hollywood actresses by powerful movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, owner of The Weinstein Company.

On October 8, The Weinstein Company decided to fire its founder due to this scandal. On October 10, the New Yorker continued to publish an investigation into many allegations of sexual assault by Weinstein, including oral and vaginal sex.

To date, more than 20 Hollywood actresses and models have claimed to have been abused by Weinstein, including: Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd, Tomi-Ann Roberts, Rosanna Arquette, Katherine Kendall, Judith Godrèche, Dawn Dunning.

According to VNN