news

A TV anchor has shared her own disturbing experience with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Lauren Sivan, a TV journalist and anchor from the US, has told the Huffington Post Hollywood producer and studio executive Harvey Weinstein masturbated in front of her at a restaurant more than 10 years ago.

The allegation comes just two days after a New York Times report found Weinstein has settled at least eight sexual harassment claims against women who ranged from assistants to actresses, and who reportedly include Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd.

They allege Weinstein has reached at least eight settlements – worth anywhere between US$80,000 to US$150,000 – with women who have accused him of sexual harassment over the course of nearly three decades.

Now, yet another woman has told her story.

Lauren Sivan was working at Long Island 12, a local New York cable network, when the incident occurred.

She told the Huffington Post Weinstein trapped her in a hallway at the restaurant and masturbated in front of her until he ejaculated, telling the paper the incident left her “shocked”. However, she says she only told a few close friends at the time because she was in a long term relationship and was worried about Weinstein’s influence in the media.

The incident occurred after Sivan had met Weinstein and others at Cipriani, a well-known Italian restaurant in Manhattan. The group then travelled to Socialista, a Cuban-themed club and restaurant in which Weinstein was an investor.

When they arrived at Socialista, Weinstein allegedly offered to give Sivan a tour of its restaurant, Cafe Socialista. Sivan asked her friend to come check on her if she wasn’t back in 10 minutes.

It was during the tour that the incident occurred.

When they reached the kitchen, Weinstein dismissed the two remaining staff members and then leaned-in and tried to kiss Sivan. She rebuked his advance and told Weinstein she had a long term boyfriend, to which he replied “Well, can you just stand there and shut up”.

At this point, she says,  they were standing in a corridor between the kitchen and the bathrooms. Sivan would have had to push her way past Weinstein to escape.

This is when Sivan said Weinstein exposed himself and started to masturbate. Stunned by his actions, Sivan stood there frozen as Weinstein ejaculated into a pot plant, then zipped up his fly and walked out of the kitchen.

Sivan's friend then arrived to check on her just as Weinstein was leaving the kitchen. Sivan and her friend immediately left the club and Sivan told her friend about the encounter.

Weinstein called Sivan the next day at work and told her he'd “had a great time last night". He asked Sivan to get together with him when he returned from a foreign trip.

Sivan reminded him that she was in relationship and quickly ended the call. That was the last contact she had with Harvey Weinstein.

The Huffington Post reached out to the Weinstein Company for comment, but did not hear back.

Related Stories

Recommended

Top Comments

Ugh 7 years ago

I love Lauren Sivan, have followed her since the days of Red Eye. I am so glad she felt safe enough to tell her story. She has a lot of people rallying around her.


Anon 7 years ago

It explains how the likes of Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Kidman moved up in the ranks. Ladies your silence is deafening.

Now if it was Donald Trump.......hypocrites.