Hollywood screenwriter and film producer Oliver Stone has joined the ranks of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and a slew of other entertainment media insiders in being accused of sexual harassment.
The accusation was levied against Stone by television actress Melissa Gilbert during an interview with Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen. Initially declining to name names, Gilbert was asked to speak about the sexual harassment saga plaguing America’s entertainment industry, and shared her own experience.
“There were moments where there were men in more powerful positions, one in particular, who humiliated me at one point in an audition, and unnecessarily, because I had embarrassed him in a social situation,” she said, not naming the director or movie in question. “He got back at me, and I ran out of the room crying. I’m actually sitting here telling you this story afraid to say his name ’cause I’m worried about backlash.”
As the discussion went further, Gilbert eventually decided to ditch the secrecy.
“Oh f–k it, it was Oliver Stone, and it was The Doors movie,” she said.
According to Gilbert, the incident occurred when she auditioned for the role of Pamela Courson. While auditioning, the actress said Stone intentionally demeaned her by pressuring her to perform scenes that were sexually explicit.
“I had auditioned, and then he said: ‘I’ve written this special scene for you. I’d like you to do it with the actor. I want to see the chemistry with the two of you,” Gilbert explained. “The whole scene was just my character on her hands and knees saying, ‘Do me, baby.’ Really dirty, horrible…Then he said, ‘I’d like you to stage it for me.'”
Despite being initially worried about some sort of media backlash, Gilbert now appears content with sharing her story. Following the interview, the actress took to Twitter to thank host Andy Cohen for providing her a platform to do exactly this.
Thank you all. Especially you @Andy for helping me lift this weight off of my shoulders. #metoo #nomore https://t.co/OJJKpFdwiu
— Melissa Gilbert (@MEGBusfield) November 20, 2017
Melissa Gilbert was a popular actress during the 70s and 80s best known for her role in Little House on the Prairie.
Oliver Stone is a Hollywood mogul known for injecting explicitly left-wing beliefs into his films. His work includes movies such as W., Snowden, and JFK. Outside of the studio, he has frequently been labeled as anti-American.
During the 2016 presidential election, Stone initially endorsed self-described socialist Bernie Sanders and later ended up casting a ballot for Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
~ Liberty Planet
