The recent sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein have emboldened women in Hollywood to come forward with stories of powerful men behaving in inappropriate ways.
Actress and Inside Edition correspondent, Lisa Guerrero, recently opened up about her 1997 audition for Steven Seagal’s EPA thriller, Fire Down Below.
Guerrero explains that she was invited to Seagal’s Beverly Hills mansion for the audition and sensing something weird, she insisted that the film’s casting director, Shari Rhodes, accompany her.
Upon arrival, Seagal, clad in a silk robe, answered the door and appeared surprised that Rhodes was with Guerrero.
Seagal led Guerrero and Rhodes into his Asian-inspired home and directed Guerrero to another room where she was asked to perform the scenes she had prepared.
Guerrero describes the room as having a big chair on a platform that looked like a big Asian throne.
“He sat on the chair in the silk robe and asked me to perform the scenes I had prepared. I had worked on those scenes for days. I performed them for him while he sat on this throne. It was so strange,” Guerrero recounts.
After the audition, Guerrero was summoned back to Seagal’s mansion for a “private rehearsal,” which she declined.
As a result, she was offered a smaller role in the film.
On the set, Guerrero found that she was the only woman present among a group of leering men and was forced to fend off Seagal’s advances.
Her part was eventually cut from the film.
Guerrero shared her story on Inside Edition, saying that the recent Weinstein scandal “triggered my revulsion at what it feels like to be an actress and having a powerful star and executive producer answer his door in a robe.”
Guerrero has warned other women in the industry about Seagal over the years and has heard about a number of corresponding incidents.
After the Inside Edition piece aired, an actress reached out to Guerrero, saying she was once asked to come in for a “chemistry test” for Under Siege 2.
The audition was in Seagal’s hotel room, and he answered the door in nothing but a robe.
Guerrero’s experience with Seagal is just one of many stories of sexual harassment and assault coming out of Hollywood in recent weeks.
The Harvey Weinstein scandal has opened the floodgates, inspiring women to speak out about their own experiences.
Actress Alyssa Milano started a viral social media campaign, #MeToo, encouraging women to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault.
The campaign has been a success, with thousands of women coming forward to share their stories.
The revelations have caused shockwaves throughout Hollywood, with many powerful men being exposed for their inappropriate behavior.
Kevin Spacey was recently accused of sexual harassment by actor Anthony Rapp, leading to Spacey’s firing from the Netflix series House of Cards.
Director Brett Ratner has also been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, leading to Warner Bros. severing ties with him.
The entertainment industry has been forced to take a hard look at itself in the wake of the Weinstein scandal.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has expelled Weinstein from its ranks and has announced new standards of conduct for its members.
The Screen Actors Guild has also taken steps to address the issue, with President Gabrielle Carteris announcing the creation of a task force to investigate and prevent sexual harassment.
The stories of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood are not new.
For years, women in the industry have quietly endured harassment and abuse, fearing the repercussions of speaking out.
But the Harvey Weinstein scandal has changed the conversation, inspiring women to speak out and demand change.
It remains to be seen what the long-term effects of these revelations will be, but one thing is clear: the culture of silence in Hollywood is beginning to crumble, and women are no longer willing to suffer in silence.
