Angelina Jolie has revealed she once "fought" with ex-husband Brad Pitt over his working relationship with Harvey Weinstein.
In an interview with The Guardian to promote her new book Know Your Rights, written in collaboration with human rights lawyer Geraldine Van Bueren and the team at Amnesty International, the Oscar-winning actress alleged that Weinstein made a pass at her while they were making 1998 Miramax film Playing By Heart, on which he served as executive producer. Weinstein has denied the allegation.
In addition, Jolie claimed she turned down a role in 2004 epic The Aviator because Weinstein was involved, and though she never “associated” with the disgraced producer again, found it “hard” when her then-partner Pitt starred in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 feature Inglourious Basterds, which was co-produced by The Weinstein Company, and again on 2012 movie Killing Them Softly, which was released by the firm.
“We fought about it. Of course it hurt,” she stated.
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016 after two years of marriage.
Elsewhere in the conversation, the mother-of-six indicated that she minimised the impact the encounter with Weinstein had on her for many years.
“If you get yourself out of the room, you think he attempted but didn’t, right? The truth is that the attempt and the experience of the attempt is an assault,” the 46-year-old stated. “It was beyond a pass, it was something I had to escape. I stayed away and warned people about him. I remember telling Jonny (Lee Miller), my first husband, who was great about it, to spread the word to other guys – don’t let girls go alone with him. I was asked to do The Aviator, but I said no because he was involved. I never associated or worked with him again. It was hard for me when Brad did.”
Following a series of sexual abuse allegations dating back to the late ‘70s, Weinstein was arrested and charged with rape in May 2018. He was found guilty of two charges in February 2020, and is currently serving a 23-year jail sentence.