Weinstein pressurised actresses to wear wife s brand

Los Angeles Jan 18 (IANS) Actresses including Jessica Chastain and Felicity Huffman were derided by disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein for refusing to wear his wife s Marchesa brand.

While over 50 women accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct last year a number of actresses have now come forward reporting that the producer also pressured them into wearing gowns by his soon-to-be-former-wife s fashion label Marchesa while attending red carpet events for his company s films reports hollywoodreporter.com.

Huffman last year went public with the accusation that Weinstein threatened to end her career if she didn t wear a Marchesa number to the premiere of the Weinstein Co.-distributed film "Transamerica" Chastain has also said he bullied her on the same issue.

Chastain told Wall Street Journal s WSJ magazine that she got into a tiff with Weinstein after she refused to wear a Marchesa dress to the 2013 premiere of "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby". She instead opted for a blue Versace gown.

Chastain said that at a later premiere Weinstein introduced the actress to the audience by saying "If I had to get in a boxing ring with Muhammad Ali or Jessica Chastain I would choose Muhammad Ali."

Actress Kerry Washington also ditched a custom Marchesa gown just hours before the 2013 Oscars in favour of a Miu Miu outfit.

--IANS
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