Kate Beckinsale recently disseminated a poignant video on Instagram wherein she recounted several harrowing experiences of harassment and abuse encountered during various film productions. The “Underworld” actress articulated her dismay in response to Blake Lively’s recent allegations of sexual harassment against her director and co-star, Justin Baldoni, in “It Ends With Us.” Beckinsale expressed her profound gratitude to Lively for bringing to light the stark reality that this pervasive issue remains a contemporary concern rather than an anachronism from the past.
Beckinsale recollected a particular filming environment where she was disparaged as “that cunt” after bravely confronting a male co-star who was under the influence of alcohol on set. “He was navigating personal struggles, and I empathize with that; however, my colleagues and I endured six-hour delays awaiting his sobriety and preparedness,” she noted. “This meant sacrificing precious time with my daughter for the duration of the shoot. In response, the studio provided me with a bicycle to traverse the lot—an insult at best—while I endured constant belittlement, including being labelled a ‘stupid bitch’ during takes.”
She further revealed the psychological toll of working on two separate film sets, where she was subjected to an extreme regimen of diet and exercise that caused her to lose her menstrual cycle entirely.
On one occasion, during the filming of an action sequence, she was physically harmed by a male co-star. Subsequently, when she disclosed her injury, she faced ostracism from her fellow cast members.
“Certain actors derive a perverse satisfaction from being legally permitted to inflict harm on female counterparts during staged combat,” Beckinsale elucidated. “I sustained injuries that were substantiated by MRIs, yet I was gaslit—rendered the villain in the narrative—for merely articulating my pain, leading to my exclusion from social gatherings with the cast.”
She recounted a distressing episode in which she was coerced by a publicist to participate in a photoshoot the day following a miscarriage, despite her insistence on her physical state. “I expressed my inability to engage, yet the response was stark: comply or face litigation.”
“Such occurrences are ubiquitous and have plagued the industry for far too long,” Beckinsale lamented, reflecting on her numerous similar narratives. “At the age of 18, I experienced an unwelcome advance from a trusted crew member, only to be met with disbelief from the very actresses known for championing women’s rights.”
“The peril of speaking out is profound,” she cautioned. “There exists an insidious expectation to remain silent—to endure in silence while feigning camaraderie. This cycle must cease. My appreciation for Blake Lively is immeasurable, for she underscores that this is an ongoing struggle, met with mechanisms designed to obliterate those who dare to speak their truth.”
To witness Beckinsale’s full discourse, kindly view her video embedded below.
Vocabulary List:
- Disseminated /dɪˈsem.ɪ.neɪ.tɪd/ (verb): Spread or disperse something widely especially information.
- Harrowing /ˈhær.əʊ.ɪŋ/ (adjective): Extremely distressing or traumatic.
- Belittlement /bɪˈlɪt.əl.mənt/ (noun): The action or effect of making someone or something seem less impressive or important.
- Psychological /ˌsaɪ.kəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/ (adjective): Relating to the mental and emotional state of a person.
- Ostracism /ˈɒs.trə.sɪ.zəm/ (noun): Exclusion from a group or society.
- Insidious /ɪnˈsɪd.i.əs/ (adjective): Proceeding in a gradual subtle way but with harmful effects.
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