‘I was terrified because he could destroy my career’: Jane Seymour, 70, says being sexually harassed in her early twenties almost derailed her Hollywood dreams
Bond girl Jane Seymour quit acting for a year after being sexually harassed by a Hollywood producer with ‘a reputation’ when she was in her early twenties.
The British-American actress, 70, shared her #MeToo story during an interview with artist and comedian Anh Do on ABC TV’s Anh’s Brush With Fame on Tuesday.
She claimed the encounter happened during a screen test for a film in 1972, when she would have been about 21 years old.
‘I go along and there’s no one there – it’s just me [and the producer],’ Jane explained.
‘He shows on the projector this screen test… and he said, “Look, I’ve persuaded everyone you’re the right person for my movie and I think you’re going to be brilliant in it.”
‘He said, “Now it’s your turn” and put his hand on my knee.’
The Live and Let Die star, who ‘didn’t have a lot of experience’ at the time, said it was a very uncomfortable moment for her.
‘I was terrified’: Actress Jane Seymour (pictured), 70, revealed the moment she was sexually harassed by a producer in Hollywood in her 20s on ABC’s Anh’s Brush With Fame on Tuesday
Jane tried to avoid his advances by scooting down to the other end of the long sofa she was sitting on and pretending it did not happen.
‘It kept happening and basically I just got up and I said, “I’m very sorry but I need to go home now,”‘ she explained.
‘He said, “If you ever tell anyone this ever happened I can guarantee you will never work in this industry ever again,” and he thrust a $10 bill in my hand for a cab… and made me swear I’d never tell my agents I had been there.’
Telling her truth: The British-American actress divulged the moment to comedian and host Anh Do (left) while while having her portrait painted
!['[He] put his hand on my knee': Jane revealed she tried to escape the producer's advances by scooting down on the long sofa she was sitting on and pretending it did not happen](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/04/14/02/41728364-9468381-image-a-3_1618363535977.jpg)
‘[He] put his hand on my knee’: Jane revealed she tried to escape the producer’s advances by scooting down on the long sofa she was sitting on and pretending it did not happen
She was later horrified to discover her agent at the knew the producer had ‘a bit of a reputation’ but put her in that situation anyway.
‘The next morning he said “How’d it go?” and I went “I didn’t go”. He said, “It’s a good thing you didn’t – he’s got a bit of a reputation and if you’d gone it could’ve been uncomfortable,”‘ Jane claimed.
‘I was terrified because this man could destroy my career, so I went back to England and I stopped acting. I quit for a year. I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to. I thought if that’s what it’s about, that’s what I have to do. That’s not what I want to do.’
‘I was terrified because this man could destroy my career, so I went back to England and I stopped acting. I quit for a year. I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to. I thought if that’s what it’s about, that’s what I have to do. That’s not what I want to do,’ Jane told Anh on Tuesday