Asia Argento Once Slammed Harvey Weinstein In Chilling Speech, Called Cannes His 'Hunting Ground'
Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars. Meanwhile, Asia Argento's video from the Cannes Film Festival has resurfaced, in which she spoke about the producer's heinous acts.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleAsia Argento is a well-known name in the film industry. The Italian actress and filmmaker is the daughter of Dario Argento and has appeared in several successful projects, including XXX, Land of the Dead, and Marie Antoinette. However, recently she is back in the limelight for her chilling speech at the Cannes Film Festival almost a decade ago. Her words are echoing on the internet once again, after Harvey Weinstein was sentenced for his crimes against women.
Asia Argento once slammed Harvey Weinstein from the stage of the Cannes Film Festival, predicting he would never return
Asia Argento was one of the first and most prominent women to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. The actress claimed that the disgraced film producer raped her in 1997 when she was just 21 years old. She further made a chilling speech at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, where she recalled how it was at the festival where the incident happened.
Asia Argento further made a prediction that Harvey Weinstein would never be welcomed back at the Cannes Film Festival. She claimed that the film industry that once embraced her and covered his crime would turn its back on him. She was quoted as saying:
"I was raped by Harvey Weinstein here at Cannes. I was 21 years old; this festival was his hunting ground. I want to make a prediction. Harvey Weinstein will never be welcomed here ever again. He will live in disgrace, shunned by a film community that once embraced him and covered up for his crimes."
Asia Argento didn't stop there; she further called on those present at the Cannes Film Festival who were yet to be held accountable for their deeds. She stated that people will have to answer for the way they have treated women in the industry. She added that this kind of treatment does not belong in any workplace. She concluded her speech by saying that these people knew who they were and, more importantly, the industry knew who they were.
"Even tonight, sitting among you, there are those who still have to be held accountable for their conduct against women, for behavior that does not belong in this industry, does not belong in any industry or workplace. You know who you are, but most importantly, we know who you are, and we are not going to allow you to get away with it any longer."
More about Harvey Weinstein's case
While Asia Argento didn't name anyone in the audience at the time, later reports claimed that while Harvey Weinstein was the face of the scandal, he didn't work alone. According to reports, his brother, Bob Weinstein, was allegedly tied to handling early settlement payouts regarding the misconduct complaints, whereas lawyer David Boies was named in relation to the case for trying to stop accusers and journalists from speaking on the matter.
It was also revealed that Private Intelligence Agencies, including Kroll, Black Cube, and investigator Jack Palladino, were hired to spy on and suppress victims and reporters. Nonetheless, despite their attempts to shun the women, more than 100 women came forward with public allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and rape against Harvey Weinstein.
What further stunned everyone was the fact that the names didn't belong to unknown faces but to some well-known industry women as well. In October 2017, foundational investigative reports by The New York Times included a list of victims that also named prominent actresses like Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie.
While over 80 to 100+ women made public accusations, a specific group of six women testified directly during his landmark 2020 criminal trial in New York. Following a lengthy trial, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison in September 2026.
What are your thoughts on Asia Argento's comment on Harvey Weinstein?
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