A former assistant of Harvey Weinstein called him a "master manipulator" and alleged that the disgraced Hollywood producer tried to rape her colleague.
Zelda Perkins, who worked as Weinstein's assistant in Miramax's London office two decades ago, told BBC that she signed an Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in 1998 and received 125,000 pounds (USD 168,000) after accusing the producer of raping the Miramax staffer during the Venice Film Festival.
"We were at the Venice Film Festival and he tried to rape (my colleague). We returned to the UK and I spoke to my only senior in the Miramax offices and she suggested I get a lawyer so we both resigned from the company, (feeling) constructively dismissed because of his behaviour.
"The lawyers made it clear that we didn't have many options because we hadn't gone to the police when we were in Venice and we didn't have any physical evidence. Ultimately, it would be two under-25 women's word against Harvey Weinstein, Miramax and essentially the Disney company," Perkins said.
She said Weinstein was more of a "power addict" than a "sex addict" and the incidents of sexual misconduct stemmed from his obsession for power.
"I don't think he's a sex addict. He's a power addict. Everything that drove him was about dominance with men and women. He put an enormous amount of energy into humiliating men and an enormous amount of energy into getting women to submit. That was what drove him: his overarching need for power," she said.
However, Perkins also admitted that working with the producer was "extremely exciting".
"Everyone now sees Harvey as this repulsive monster, which he was and is on one hand, but what is interesting and isn't brought forward is that he was an extremely exciting, brilliant (and) stimulating person to be around.
"He was a master manipulator and his moods changed very quickly and you never knew if you were his confidante or going to be screamed at," she said.
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