Jessica Chastain applauds Salma Hayek for hard-hitting Frida essay

Jessica Chastain is raving about Salma Hayek’s emotional New York Times essay, in which the Mexican actress detailed the sexual harassment hell she went through as she attempted to make Frida.
Salma claimed disgraced movie boss Harvey Weinstein attempted to sabotage the passion project she was making for his film company Miramax after she spurned his sexual requests, which included taking a shower with him.
Hayek revealed she suffered an emotional breakdown on set just before she filmed a naked lesbian sex scene, revealing she only agreed to shoot to keep Harvey happy and to save the movie about artist Frida Kahlo’s life.
Ironically, Hayek’s Frida co-star Ashley Judd was one of the women who first opened up about Weinstein’s bad behaviour in a Times expose back in October (17), and now the producer has been attacked by over 80 women, who claim he mistreated them.
Chastain tells Extra she was very impressed with what Salma had to say and the way she said it, stating, “That was so moving, that op-ed she wrote, and it really goes to show it’s so important what is happening right now with all these women coming forward and talking about their stories and talking about the walls that they faced in their industry.”
“What I got from that article is: ‘Man, Salma Hayek, not only is she an incredible actress… but what a great producer she is. Reading all those hoops she was jumping through, how she got her movie made. I thank goodness for her and I’m so grateful she is in our industry. I hope that what’s happening now will create lasting change for more artists like Salma Hayek to have an opportunity to tell stories.”
Weinstein’s spokeswoman Holly Baird has denied Hayek’s claims in a statement, saying, “All of the sexual allegations as portrayed by Salma are not accurate and others who witnessed the events have a different account of what transpired.”
Baird also insists her client does not recall forcing Salma to strip for a lesbian love scene in the 2002 movie.
But the actress’ co-star Antonio Banderas believes her – in a statement released on Thursday (14Dec17), he wrote: “I’m deeply saddened by the terrible events that my dear friend Salma Hayek has made public about Harvey #Weinstein. Her integrity and honesty as a woman and as an actress make me firmly trust her words.”