In what is certainly a shocking turn of events, the Harvey Weinstein story has been turned upside down.
The New York Times reports that actress Asia Argento, who claims Weinstein raped her, actually paid off a young actor named Jimmy Bennett after attacking him sexually. The attack took place in 2013. The pay off — $380,000- – came since the #Metoo revelations started last year– and were concluded this spring right before Argento– who has been militant in her crusade against Weinstein– made a wild impromptu speech at Cannes saying Weinstein had used the festival as hunting ground.
Argento’s stunning hypocrisy comes on the heels of a catastrophic spring and summer for her. Not long after the Cannes Film Festival, her boyfriend– Anthony Bourdain– committed suicide. The suicide followed a week of photographs in Italian and UK newspapers of Argento “canoodling” with a young Italian journalist. Many on line have cited the photos as a catalyst for Bourdain’s suicide.
According to the Times report, Argento had played the mother of actor Jimmy Bennett when he was six years old in 2004 film called “The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things.” Bennett claimed that Argento assaulted him in 2013, when he was 17. The complaint was public because California doesn’t have NDAs to cover civil matters.
According to the Times, Bennett said in a filing against Argento that this is what happened: “Ms. Argento … gave him alcohol to drink and showed him a series of notes she had written to him on hotel stationery. Then she kissed him, pushed him back on the bed, removed his pants and performed oral sex. She climbed on top of him and the two had intercourse, the document says. She then asked him to take a number of photos.”
This revelation should rock the Harvey Weinstein case, especially in New York where Argento was considered a key witness. Weinstein has maintained right along that he and Argento had a four year consensual relationship and that he never raped her. Much of the prosecution’s case has been based on Argento’s forthrightness to testify and to support other alleged victims. But this report would seem to shatter her position of being any assistance in any case against Weinstein.
to be continued…
