Renowned actress Jane Seymour recently revealed that she faced s**ual harassment from a powerful Hollywood producer during her early twenties.
In an interview with Megyn Kelly, Seymour shared how the encounter temporarily derailed her acting career.
Seymour, known for her iconic roles as a Bond girl, a medicine woman, and a French queen, among others, disclosed that she took a year-long break from acting after the distressing incident.
She decided to return to England and had no intention of going back to Hollywood.
The 66-year-old British actress described the producer as the most influential man in Hollywood at the time.
He had invited her to his residence for a movie screening, promising that many people would be present and considering her for a new role.
However, upon arriving, Seymour found herself alone with the producer.
To her surprise, he praised her talent and expressed his excitement about casting her in their upcoming film.
Then, he made an inappropriate advance by placing his hand on her thigh.
Shocked, Seymour tried to distance herself by moving away on the sofa.
When he persisted, she stood up and firmly stated that she had to leave.
The producer became furious and warned Seymour that if she ever spoke about what happened, she would never work again anywhere in the world.
It later came to light that her agent and another producer, who had arranged the meeting, were aware of the situation but failed to protect her.
In a previous interview with an Australian morning show called “Sunrise,” Seymour shared that she contemplated quitting acting because of the incident.
The experience had deeply affected her and kept her away from her profession for an entire year.
Despite the setback, Seymour eventually returned to both theater and Hollywood.
Upon her return to the United States, she attended a dinner hosted by the producer, where Princess Margaret was also present.
Interestingly, the producer did not recognize Seymour and offered her a lead role in the 1980 film “Somewhere in Time.”
Although Seymour did not name her harasser, speculation has arisen that it may have been renowned Hollywood producer Ray Stark, who passed away.
In a 2000 interview, Seymour mentioned attending a party at Stark’s residence, where he expressed interest in setting up a meeting for a potential movie role.
Stark, who faced accusations of s**ual harassment from other women, including actress Lesley Ann Warren, was known for flirting with female visitors at his home.
His friend, Alan Greisman, acknowledged that Stark’s behavior would likely be classified as s**ual harassment in today’s society.
Jane Seymour’s story sheds light on the prevalence of s**ual harassment in the entertainment industry and the need for improved protections for actors and actresses.
Despite the challenges she faced, Seymour’s resilience allowed her to overcome adversity and continue her successful career in the spotlight.
