For the first time since she led a wave of more than 60 women who have accused Hollywood producerHarvey Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment, Ashley Judd gave an interview about her experience with Weinstein and what it was like preparing to come forward.
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Speaking with Diane Sawyer on a segment that aired on Good Morning America, Judd revealed that her mom was supportive when she was thinking about making her allegations public.
“I talked with my mom and told her what I was thinking about doing and she said, ‘Go get him,'” Judd explained.
.@AshleyJudd tells @DianeSawyer that when she talked to her mom about coming out with Harvey Weinstein allegations, she said ‘Go get him' pic.twitter.com/XDZjCgXAyw
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 26, 2017
Judd also described “the lurch” she felt when she arrived for a meeting with Weinstein and was told he was waiting for her in his hotel room.
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“I had a business appointment, which is his pattern of sexual predation. That’s how he rolled,” she explained, adding that once in the room with him, she tried to block his advances. “There’s this constant grooming negotiation going on. I thought no meant no. Maybe he heard them as maybes. Maybe he heard them as yeses. Maybe they turned him on. I don’t know.”
.@AshleyJudd to @DianeSawyer on Harvey Weinstein encounter: “I thought no meant no…I fought with this volley of no’s.” pic.twitter.com/2QDO0mAa2p
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 26, 2017
Despite the dozens of women who have made similar accusations against Weinstein, Judd is still surprisingly optimistic about his future and his possible rehabilitation.
“I believe there is hope and help for everyone,” she said. “It has to be appropriate help. It has to be a real profound understanding on the sexual predator knowing that what they did is wrong and criminal.”
Even in the message she would send to Weinstein today, Judd is full of compassion for a man who has been completely vilified in the eyes of many.
“What I would say to Harvey is, ‘I love you, and I understand you are sick and suffering and there is help for a guy like you too. And it is entirely up to you to get that help,'” she said. “It’s just who I am. It’s frankly an easier way to roll through the world than the alternative.”
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Judd was interviewed in The New York Times exposé that resulted in more than 60 women accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment, assault and rape. He is reportedly seeking treatment at an Arizona rehab center.
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