Harvey Weinstein crossed lines and boundaries: Madonna

Musician recalls working with disgraced film mogul on her 1991 tour documentary ‘In Bed With Madonna’

Madonna has said that the disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein “crossed lines and boundaries” when they worked together on her 1991 tour documentary In Bed With Madonna, which was distributed by Weinstein’s former company, Miramax.

In an interview with the New York Times, the singer described Weinstein as “incredibly sexually flirtatious and forward with me when we were working together. He was married at the time, and I certainly wasn’t interested.”

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Aflo/REX/Shutterstock (5587144t)MadonnaMDNA SKIN launch at Mitsukoshi department store, Tokyo, Japan - 15 Feb 2016

She said she was aware he had acted similarly with her female peers. “We were all, ‘Harvey gets to do that because he’s got so much power and he’s so successful and his movies do so well and everybody wants to work with him, so you have to put up with it.’ So that was it.”

When allegations that Weinstein had raped and assaulted women were reported in October 2017, Madonna said she wasn’t “cheering from the rafters because I’m never going to cheer for someone’s demise. I don’t think that’s good karma. But it was good that somebody who had been abusing his power for so many years was called out and held accountable.”

PHOTO: AFP

But Weinstein, in his BBC statement said, "Madonna is such a maverick, it is surprising that she conformed to what's in vogue. This new narrative was not the nature of my relationship with her and I will not justify my terrific feelings for her. It was significant, material and fun. Adding that the pop star had mischaracterised their relationship, he stated.

"She was that ray of light whom I will always cherish. Anyone who knew her well back in those days appreciates that she knew how to express herself. She was fun, flirtatious and genuinely engaging, but if getting on this bandwagon helps her sell records, then I can’t say much.”

Harvey Weinstein, pictured at Manhattan Criminal Courtroom on June 5, 2018, has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of womenPHOTO: AFP

In the interview, Madonna also denied the rumour that she had once asked Donald Trump on a date. She recalled that while she shot a Versace campaign with Steven Meisel at the photographer’s Palm Beach home, Trump repeatedly called to talk to her.

“He kept going, ‘Hey is everything okay? Finding yourself comfortable? Are the beds comfortable? Is everything good? Are you happy?’” She said Trump had a weak character. “A man who is secure with himself, a human who is secure with themselves, doesn’t have to go around bullying people all the time.”

Madonna releases Madame X, her 14^th studio album, on 14 June.