Harvey Weinstein boasted he had slept with several A-list actresses – and even summoned Nicole Kidman in the middle of the night to ‘prove’ his power over leading film stars, according to an Italian model who revelaed last night how she was subjected to a series of ‘sleazy and predatory’ sexual advances by him.

Samantha Panagrosso said the producer harassed her on a yacht during the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, ending in an alleged sexual assault while he tried to force himself on her.

And, in one weird incident, he pretended to be her dog by getting down on his hands and knees at a dinner party.

Ms Panagrosso, now 44, shared her story for the first time, joining scores of other women who have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment.

Samantha Panagrosso
DailyMail

The model, who resides in Paris, told The Mail on Sunday that she had been invited to spend the festival aboard a yacht owned by a friend of Weinstein’s. The producer was also there.

‘From the moment he walked on to the boat I could see him leeringly appraising my body,’ she said. ‘ Weinstein was sitting next to me, making salacious comments about wanting me and doing nothing about preventing the other guests from hearing.

‘He was grossly overweight, sweaty and wearing a T-shirt with his stomach protruding from it. I found him repulsive.’

Weinstein had earlier tried to force himself on Ms Panagrosso in the pool at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, boasting that he could easily ‘get what he wanted’ from another model who was also present, according to Ms Panagrosso. Ms Panagrosso alleged that the model afterwards went to his room for a ‘screen test.’

Weinstein ‘made constant sexual comments’ at dinner one night on the yacht, she said.

‘I was firm in my rejection of his advances,’ she said. ‘He told me he could make me a star, but I had no interest in becoming an actress so there was nothing he could offer me that could make him seem appealing.

‘It didn’t seem to matter. It was as if my saying no just made him more excited. Suddenly he got down on his hands and knees and told everyone, “Look, I’m Sam’s dog.” Everyone was laughing, but I felt deeply uncomfortable.’

Weinstein allegedly afterwards “named several A-list actresses he claimed had willingly slept with him,” according to her. ‘I told him I didn’t believe him, so he said “OK, I’ll prove it”, took out his phone and called Nicole Kidman,’ she added.

Paltrow (pictured with Weinstein in 2002

‘It was late at night, but he asked her to come to the boat, and she did. They walked off by themselves and when they returned, he told me they’d kissed.

‘I don’t believe it was true or anything took place, or had ever taken place, but the fact she appeared at his command shows how powerful he was. In the film world, he was the puppet-master and everyone was his puppet.’