There are many actresses who also act as models, but there are few who have influenced both sectors in the same way. One of them is Sharon Stone, an iconic figure of brands such as Dior or Alain Afflelou, and who has also starred in notable films such as Basic Instinct, Casino or The Specialist. She recently opened up about her beginnings in the industry on Kelly Ripa's podcast, Let's Talk Off Camera. In this space, the actress revealed a hitherto unknown episode of sexual harassment by a former Sony boss.
The actress decided in her intervention not to bring to light the name of the person who sexually harassed her during her first steps in the film industry. As she recalled, she was "very excited" to "wear the best look" for the meeting, since "when you're young you only have one good outfit," and she was going to meet the then Sony executive. As she revealed, she was wearing a Ralph Lauren coat paired with a denim skirt and cowboy boots. A very groundbreaking and elegant style. However, the outcome was not what she expected.
"I went to his office and it was, you know, back in the '80s, so the couch was basically on the floor, you know? They were giant couches very low and my knees were around my neck and, of course, I'm very tall anyway, so it looked like all legs," expressed the actress, remembering that day perfectly. And the day, which began with great enthusiasm, ended up being a real hell for the young Stone.
Once in the office, that man approached her and began to make her uncomfortable. "Oh, it's true what they say about you, and you're the most beautiful. We haven't seen anyone like you in decades. Everyone talks about you. You're the most eloquent. You're so smart and beautiful, and that hair. ..", expressed the man, in words that the actress still remembers today. "Then she came walking up to me and said, 'but first...' and she stuck her penis out in my face," Stone recalled in the talk, thus revealing the harassment she suffered.
The model also explains that her reaction was surprising at that moment. "I was very young and, as I do when I'm nervous, because I'm basically a very happy person, I started laughing. I started laughing and crying at the same time and I couldn't stop because I became hysterical. I couldn't stop, so he couldn't stop." I knew what to do," Stone said. "He put it away and entered through a door that was behind his desk, and I thought he was gone," she said. Minutes after that episode, a secretary of the manager appeared and invited her to leave the offices.
The actress revealed in the podcast that she felt the need to bring this episode to light after hearing the testimony of a singer who revealed in the middle of a concert that she had suffered sexual harassment by a producer. "When I heard this girl I thought that in the end everything is still like it was in 1980. And now we are in 2023, 43 years later," she lamented. The actress condemned all types of abuse in the interview and assured that she had not offered her testimony before because she feared that they would not continue hiring her for new projects.
