Hollywood has long been famous as a place full of scandals and scandals. In particular, the issue of sexual harassment and abuse against actresses has been exposed to the public many times. Recently, the dark sides of the world's cinema capital have continued to be exposed by A-list stars here. Specifically, in her latest autobiography, actress Rebel Wilson devoted an entire chapter to blaming Sacha Baron Cohen – a colleague who collaborated with her on projects such as Grimsby, Borat… Rebel Wilson said she was sexually harassed. This actor once forced himself to be naked and even invited her to have real sex while filming to increase the realism of the scene. Upon hearing those harassment words, the actress got angry and immediately left the studio.
Previously, in mid-March, another A-list star, Sharon Stone, also exposed the famous producer Robert Evans for the first time when working on the project Sliver (1993). The female star said that her co-star Billy Baldwin had psychological problems and could not perform the hot scene between the two smoothly. Robert Evans then arranged to meet the actress in a private room and suggested that she sleep with her co-star to increase the “chemistry” between them on film.
Asked to wait naked for casting, “audition” in bed with the artist
Despite making noise and attracting public opinion, in fact, stories like Sharon Stone or Rebel Wilson happen a lot in showbiz. Recently, as the wave of protests against sexual harassers in Hollywood heats up again, Far Out magazine published an article exposing the ugly dark sides of the world's film capital. One of the prominent stories mentioned is the horrifying memory of beautiful actress Jennifer Lawrence during her early career. The American Hustle star revealed that she was forced to stand in line with a group of beauties without clothes, only using tape to cover her sensitive parts while waiting for her turn to audition. When she entered the room with the producers, she was asked to pose so they could film and take pictures.
Jennifer Lawrence called it an unforgettable and humiliating experience for herself. The actress also believes that only because she became famous early did she gradually escape similar incidents afterward. At the same time, she believes that similar stories will continue to happen in Hollywood, simply to different degrees.
Similar to Jennifer Lawrence, Kaya Scodelario – star of The Maze Runner – also revealed that she was eliminated from a big project when she refused to be naked in front of the director and producers during the audition. The actress said she felt really frightened by the film crew's rude requests. Luckily, her representative was also there and immediately intervened to protect Kaya.
Actress Amanda Seyfried once said she was asked not to wear underwear while working on set at the age of 19 even when not filming to ensure progress. “Thinking back, how could I let that happen? Then I understand the reason: At that age, I didn't want to offend anyone, I also wanted to keep my job,” the Mamma Mia star shared. .
Also according to Far Out magazine, stories of taking advantage of auditions to sexually harass actresses have existed since the birth of Hollywood. One of the most famous victims was sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Stars have been asked many times by producers to conduct auditions in closed rooms or in bed. The late actor once recalled in an interview: “I have met them all. There are bold people, there are meandering people. But you can clearly see in their eyes the true face of Hollywood – a Brothels are crowded and cramped.
94% of women in Hollywood have experienced sexual harassment
Hollywood has witnessed a series of movements demanding equal rights and calling for the protection of women in the film industry such as MeToo, Time's Up… In recent years, many big figures in the world capital of cinema such as Harvey Weinstein have , Bill Cosby, James Franco… From powerful “tycoons”, many of these cases lost their careers and reputations, and even got caught up in prison for their own sexual crimes.
Many new methods to minimize this problem have also been proposed. Nowadays, the profession of hot scene coordinator is very popular in Hollywood, as a way to protect actors who feel most comfortable participating in projects that require skin to be exposed. Previously, these scenes were performed largely based on the experience of the director and actors. They discuss among themselves to decide what is appropriate and possible to do on set. Because there are no specific provisions, many people take advantage of this loophole to abuse actors.
However, according to Far Out magazine's article, this problem in the world entertainment industry has not disappeared but has only become more sophisticated than before. At the end of 2023, a law office in Hollywood revealed shocking numbers when about 94% of the women working there had been sexually harassed and abused to varying degrees. In particular, the audition stage is often considered the stage that makes many people feel most vulnerable to being taken advantage of by bad guys.
According to industry experts, this is a fundamental problem in the film capital of Hollywood. Throughout its history, the culture of “bed casting” has become an inseparable part. Even after movements like MeToo, this problem still exists, seen by many people as a “natural thing” when entering showbiz. Many people still abuse this to put pressure on new actors, individuals who do not have enough voice to create a wave of public opinion and lack support behind them.
At the same time, another reason why sexual problems are still alarming in Hollywood is that many victims face a lot of trouble after speaking out. Many people cannot continue to develop their careers because they are turned away by manufacturers. Others were even defamed or got into legal trouble because they could not provide evidence. As in the recent case of Sharon Stone, the actress was threatened by her co-star Billy Baldwin to write a book to expose the actress's bad habits and scandals.