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'Boardwalk Empire' Actress Paz De La Huerta Says Harvey Weinstein Raped Her Twice

'Boardwalk Empire' Actress Paz De La Huerta Says Harvey Weinstein Raped Her Twice

“Boardwalk Empire” actress Paz de la Huerta has said producer Harvey Weinstein raped her on two separate occasions.

In an account that a distressing similarity to those of the dozens of women who’ve accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, de la Huerta said the former studio executive forced himself on her in October 2010 after offering to drive her home following a night out. Back at de la Huerta’s New York City apartment, she said, Weinstein removed her dress and raped her.

“Immediately when we got inside the house, he started to kiss me and I kind of brushed [him] away,” the actress told Vanity Fair. “Then he pushed me onto the bed and his pants were down and he lifted up my skirt. I felt afraid ... It wasn’t consensual ... It happened very quickly ... He stuck himself inside me ... When he was done he said he’d be calling me. I kind of just laid on the bed in shock.”

After the incident, de la Huerta said Weinstein repeatedly tried to contact her by phone, prompting the actress to confront him at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles.

Paz de la Huerta attends the Weinstein Company's celebration for Best Picture winner 'The King's Speech' in 2011.
John Shearer via Getty Images
Paz de la Huerta attends the Weinstein Company's celebration for Best Picture winner 'The King's Speech' in 2011.

She said the second incident occurred about a month later at her home, after Weinstein showed up in the lobby of her building following a photo shoot. De la Huerta recalled being intoxicated that evening and unable to give consent.

“I was in no state. I was so terrified of him,” she told the outlet. “I did say no, and when he was on top of me I said, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ He kept humping me and it was disgusting. He’s like a pig ... He raped me.”

De la Huerta first met Weinstein when she was only 14 years old, having been cast in “The Cider House Rules,” which was produced by Miramax, the company Weinstein helped run at the time. The actress is likely best known for her role as Lucy Danziger, the one-time girlfriend to Steve Buscemi’s character on the HBO gangster saga “Boardwalk Empire,” which premiered a year prior to the first alleged rape.

De la Huerta said the assault put her down a dangerous path, damaging her career as she experienced depression and developed a dependence on alcohol.

“I was very traumatized,” she said. “I felt so disgusted by it, with myself ... I became a little self-destructive. It was really hard for me to deal, to cope.”

Harvey Weinstein pictured in 2017.
Bennett Raglin via Getty Images
Harvey Weinstein pictured in 2017.

Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex made against him in the wake of multiple damning reports by The New York Times and The New Yorker, which detailed decades of abuse. More than 50 other women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct in recent weeks, leading to his firing at The Weinstein Company and expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

While no criminal charges have been brought against Weinstein, HuffPost confirmed in October with the New York Police Department that it is looking into another report of sexual assault against the former executive, from 2004. The NYPD is also investigating de la Huerta’s claims in conjunction with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

“We are aware of the sexual assault complaints,” the NYPD told CBS News in a statement. “We are actively investigating them. The NYPD continues to work with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office on the case. The investigation is ongoing.”

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