“He wanted to give me a massage”: Black Panther Star on Harvey Weinstein’s Threat After She Refused Sleazy Advances Near His Own Kids

Hollywood has never been more affiliated with freedom since the days of its conception. Be it television Westerns, comic book adaptations, or tear-jerking biopics, fans and critics have elevated the status of the entertainment industry into a level playing field where films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever get as much celebrated and tastefully made as any other award-worthy project.

However, the dark clouds of industry-wide corruption also plagued the film and television industry for quite a long time. The case of Harvey Weinstein in all of Hollywood is now an infamous chapter in the history of modern popular culture. And with his arrest and imprisonment, a veil of secrecy has also been lifted from the industry.

Black Panther Star Opens Up About Her Past

In their own ways, Harvey Weinstein‘s victims have all responded, either hidden behind the security of anonymity or by choosing to preserve their own sanity after being preyed on by a man in a position of power and authority.

Despite their horrifying experiences, dozens of women came forward in October 2017 when The New York Times and The New Yorker reported their allegations of r*pe and s*xual assault against the former Hollywood mogul. The 2017 case then became crucial in setting the wheels of justice in motion.

One of those women was the Black Panther star Lupita Nyong’o who plays Nakia in the Marvel movies and the former love interest of late Chadwick Boseman’s character, King T’Challa. In an extensive op-ed published in The New York Times, Nyong’o detailed the intricacies of her relationship with Weinstein that fueled the controversy and how she survived the encounter despite feeling extremely unsafe.

Lupita Nyong’o Goes Full Expose on Harvey Weinstein

With time and experience, Hollywood has mastered the art of tasteful patience and good grace. But after suffering under the dark and corrupting influence of Miramax’s boss for 3 decades, Hollywood finally reached its tipping point, breaking free of all barriers of self-constraint and leading the Me Too movement at the time of its conception.

Lupita Nyong’o, in her New York Times op-ed, refused to go easy on her past disturbing encounter with Harvey Weinstein. She explained how the former mega-producer forced her to have a drink after meeting her at a restaurant in 2011. After initially averting his advances, which then led to Weinstein calling her “stubborn,” the pair proceeded to watch the screening of a film at his home theater, accompanied by his children.

However, it was at Weinstein’s home where the situation took an ugly turn. Nyong’o revealed:

Harvey led me into a bedroom — his bedroom — and announced that he wanted to give me a massage. I thought he was joking at first. He was not. For the first time since I met him, I felt unsafe. I panicked a little and thought quickly to offer to give him one instead: It would allow me to be in control physically, to know exactly where his hands were at all times.

After Weinstein began removing his pants, despite Nyong’o’s ardent protests, the Black Panther actress’s quick thinking saved her from being trapped in a predatory circumstance. Nyong’o quickly removed herself from the room and after yet another episode of Weinstein calling her “stubborn,” Nyong’o called it a day, later brushing off the incident as an awkward encounter.

However, their third encounter completely reformed Nyong’o’s views on Weinstein when he arranged to meet with her alone in a restaurant:

Before the starters arrived, he announced: ‘Let’s cut to the chase. I have a private room upstairs where we can have the rest of our meal.’ I was stunned. I told him I preferred to eat in the restaurant. He told me not to be so naïve. If I wanted to be an actress, then I had to be willing to do this sort of thing. He said he had dated Famous Actress X and Y and look where that had gotten them.

When Nyong’o affirmed her stance on not going through with his offer, Weinstein claimed: “You have no idea what you are passing up,” to which she replied, “With all due respect, I would not be able to sleep at night if I did what you are asking, so I must pass.” Weinstein’s demeanor changed in that instance, and he simply said, “So we are done here. You can leave.”

For Lupita Nyong’o, the change in demeanor indicated a threat to her career and she wanted a clarification for the sake of her future in the industry.

Before I got in [the cab], I needed to make sure that I had not awakened a beast that would go on to ruin my name and destroy my chances in the business even before I got there. ‘I just want to know that we are good,’ I said. ‘I don’t know about your career, but you’ll be fine,’ he said. It felt like both a threat and a reassurance at the same time; of what, I couldn’t be sure.

Their next encounter at an after-party for the premiere of 12 Years a Slave was a rather formal and surprisingly modest one where he congratulated her on her success and apologized for his past behavior, claiming he was ashamed of his actions and that he would respect her moving forward.

Despite the sugary praises, Nyong’o later revealed that she had the knowledge and foresight regarding how many more women in the industry were dealing with a similar situation as her own. In May 2018, Harvey Weinstein was charged with r*pe and arrested. In March 2020, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

His r*pe conviction was later overturned in 2024 by New York’s Court of Appeals. However, he has also been sentenced to 16 years in prison in his Los Angeles case to be served “consecutively after” his 23-year New York sentence.