Asia Argento Leaving Italy After Press Condemns Her For Accusing Harvey Weinstein of Rape
Zack Sharf
Asia Argento is leaving Italy and moving to Germany after receiving backlash from the Italian press over her rape allegation toward Harvey Weinstein. Argento went on the record with her story in an article from The New Yorker published on October 10, in which she described an encounter with Weinstein that ended with him performing forced oral sex on her.
“He terrified me, and he was so big,” she told The New Yorker. “It wouldn’t stop. It was a nightmare.” The actress admitted that she let Weinstein continue just so that the encounter could end since she was incapable of defending herself.
In the wake of Argento’s allegations, the Italian press have condemned the actress’ behavior, Quartz reports. Journalist Mario Adinolfi tweeted that Argento’s claims were “trying to justify high-society prostitution,” while Vittorio Feltri, the editor-in-chief of right-wing publication Libero, said in a radio interview that Argento must be lying since the sex had to have been consensual because the actress wasn’t violently harmed. Opinion writer Renato Farina wrote Agrento “first [gave] it away, then [whined] and [faked] regret.”
Even women have been criticizing Argento online. Writer Selvaggia Lucarelli published a Facebook post commenting on the Weinstein scandal, which she feels is a missed opportunity “to speak about reprehensible male habits, but also of women who put up with them.” Argento ended up having a consensual relationship with Weinstein after her alleged rape.
Argento told The New Yorker she was 21 when Weinstein’s producers invited her to a Miramax party at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the French Riviera. She attended the event, only to find out there was no party and she was left in a hotel room with only Weinstein in a bathrobe holding a bottle of lotion. He allegedly requested a massage and lifted up her skirt.
“The thing with being a victim is I felt responsible,” she said. “Because if I were a strong woman, I would have kicked him in the balls and run away. But I didn’t. And so I felt responsible.”
