Sharon Stone reveals decades-old harassment incident in Hollywood
In 2018, riding the wave of the #MeToo movement, Sharon Stone stated in an interview, "I've been in this business for 40 years. I've seen it all". Only recently, she shared an episode from her early acting career when she was harassed. This was not an isolated incident.
Stone's revelation came during her appearance on Kelly Ripa's podcast "Let’s Talk Off Camera". For the first time, she talked about being harassed by the then-boss of Sony Pictures. As she recalls, the man indecently exposed himself to her during a meeting in his office back in the 80s. This all happened long before her breakthrough roles in "Basic Instinct" (1992) and "Casino" (1995).
Choosing not to name her alleged perpetrator, Stone elaborated on the event. She described how she walked into his office and sat on a low couch, which was quite common in the 80s ("My knees were level with my neck"). She recalled how the studio boss showered her with flattery, then indecently exposed himself while standing nearby.
"Obviously, I was very young. I started to laugh because that's my response when I'm nervous -- I have a high-energy personality. I laughed while my tears flowed uncontrollably. It was panic laughter. I couldn't stop, which left him unsure about what to do next. At that point, he tucked himself back in and vanished behind the doors of his desk. I thought he'd left but was unsure about my next move," shared the actress.
Stone was able to regain composure when his secretary entered and guided her out of the office. "That wasn't my last encounter with such bizarre experiences in my career," Stone said.
Now 65, Stone emphasized her readiness to forgive the men from Hollywood who mistreated her over the years, provided they apologize. Those who fail to express regret won't be welcome in her company.
"I have attended screenings where the only available seat was next to me, and these men choose to sit in the stairs in the hallway rather than sit beside me," Stone admitted. "They know better than to sit next to me if they're implicated in #MeToo. Unless you apologize, don't take the empty seat beside me," the actress said emphatically.
