Ashley Judd Explains Why She Spoke out About Harvey Weinstein’s Sexual Harassment

Ahead of the flood of allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein, actress Ashley Judd was one of the first to speak out about her experience with the Hollywood producer. Judd’s story paved the way for dozens of women to tell their own stories, leading to a tremendous takedown of Weinstein.

Appearing at TimesTalks L.A.’s “Uncovering Sexual Harassment” conversation on Tuesday night, sharing her reason for becoming the first woman to go on record.

“I did it because it was the right thing to do,” she said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Judd told her story in an Oct. 5 exposé written by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who were also present at the talk. Judd explained that she decided to share her experience because she was won over by Kantor, her “journalistic integrity” and the Times institution.

“I sure am glad I did,” she added.

In the article, Judd said that two decades ago, Weinstein had invited her to his hotel for what she assumed was a business meeting. Instead, she said, they spoke in his suite, where he asked her for a massage, a shoulder rub, to help her pick out his clothes and to watch him shower, all of which she refused.

Judd, who said she felt “panicky, trapped,” shared that to leave the room, she joked that if Weinstein wanted to touch her, she would have to win an Oscar in one of his films first.

During the panel, the actress shared that around the time the exposé was released, she spent time at her agency where she spoke to peers and agents about the subject of sexual harassment.

“The conversations I’ve been having with my fellow actors have been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “They are absolutely blowing this out of the water. … I left [the meeting] humbled because I didn’t have much to contribute.”

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