Judi Dench says Harvey Weinstein has “done his time”
Judi Dench has spoken out about her former friend Harvey Weinstein, saying she was “fortunate” not to have been abused by him but feels he has “done his time”.
The actor was speaking in a new interview with the Radio Times ahead of a new documentary on Shakespeare she has created for Channel 4.
As part of her wide-ranging discussion, reflecting back on many major moments in her career, she was also asked about her relationship with the disgraced Hollywood mogul Weinstein, who was found guilty of sexual assault and rape following a range of accusations first made against him in 2017.
As far as Dench’s own opinion on the former producer, however, she said: “I saw a bit of film of Harvey walking with two sticks and you think, ‘Well…’ I knew Harvey and I knew him well and worked with him, and I had none of that experience – very fortunately for me.”
After the pair struck up a strong collaborative connection over the years, with the actor starring in his 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, she added: “I imagine he’s done his time. I don’t know, to me it’s personal – forgiveness.”
It comes as, elsewhere in the interview, Dench also defended her friend Kevin Spacey, who was also accused of sexual assault but was later found not guilty of the charges. “Kevin has been exonerated and I hear from Kevin, we text,” she revealed.
Despite Dench defending some of her connections in the industry, particularly with Weinstein, the former producer was still found guilty of one conviction of a criminal sexual act in his New York retrial earlier this year.
He was found not guilty of another charge, while a verdict from an accusation of a third alleged victim was not returned. He has consistently denied all the charges.
Dench’s new documentary, Shakespeare, My Family, and Me is available to watch via Channel 4 now.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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