"My account of what happened has never changed," the actress insisted in a statement
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NEED TO KNOW
- Rosanna Arquette responded to Harvey Weinstein’s claims that survivors exaggerated abuse, stating the assaults and rapes “happened”
- Weinstein, convicted of multiple sexual assault charges, alleged survivors sought personal gain, which Arquette firmly denied
- Arquette emphasized the importance of supporting survivors and criticized Weinstein’s attempts to deny facts from prison
Rosanna Arquette slammed recent comments Harvey Weinstein made from behind bars, insisting the rapes and assaults he has been accused of “happened,” despite his denial.
In a two-page statement obtained by PEOPLE and shared on Instagram on Thursday, March 12, Arquette, 66, responded after Weinstein, 73, suggested her and other stars’ claims about the alleged assaults were “just exaggerated” as he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter from Rikers Island.
Weinstein — who was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 80 women in October 2017 — told the outlet, “I may be a tough guy, but I’m not deranged. Just the threat of Harvey was enough — maybe more than enough. But it didn’t go to the point of blackballing anybody. If the camera’s on, I’m just going to say Rosanna Arquette, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie — they just exaggerated. They wanted to be part of the club. And they destroyed me.”
Including some of the quote in her statement, Arquette wrote, “When it comes to the events that led to Harvey Weinstein’s convictions, plural, by juries of his peers, here are the facts: The assaults happened. The rapes happened.”
She insisted in the statement of Weinstein’s THR interview, “I have never exaggerated my assault. Ever. My account of what happened has never changed.”
The Desperately Seeking Susan star — who was one of multiple women to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct to journalist Ronan Farrow in a New Yorker expose published in October 2017, alleging that her own encounter happened in the early ‘90s — wrote, “A simple Google search makes this clear. If, by saying ‘exaggerated,’ he means the retribution I endured, Ronan Farrow’s investigation into those claims (made by others as well) substantiated the ‘blackballing’ with respect to me.”
“Ronan’s work speaks for itself. There was/is no 'club' to belong to as a Harvey Weinstein assault survivor. Being a survivor of assault or rape is not a club. I can’t believe that has to be said,” Arquette went on.
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Elsewhere in the statement, the actress noted, “Prior to his convictions, the rapes and assaults were substantiated by investigative journalists at different legacy news outlets, passing the meticulous scrutiny of teams of lawyers and editors through a rigorous pre-publication process.”
Arquette pointed out that criminal investigations had been “conducted by law enforcement agencies in Manhattan and Los Angeles,” adding that, “The facts and evidence of these crimes were brought to courtrooms, where Harvey Weinstein was given the full benefits of due process and was represented by the best attorneys his ample wealth could provide. He was tried and convicted for these crimes.”
She said, “While his New York conviction was overturned due to procedural reasons, the jury did find him guilty; a re-trial found him guilty of one count of sexual assault. His California conviction stands, and he remains in prison. There are allegations of rape and assault from survivors who were minors at the time.”
“These are the facts. It’s important to remember them and put them first, especially when a highly skilled storyteller, like Weinstein, is seeking to upend them (with a publicist by his side in prison, no less!),” the actress wrote.
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In June 2025, Weinstein, as part of a split verdict, was found guilty of one count of a criminal sex act related to a 2006 incident in which he forced himself onto former TV production assistant Miriam Haley. Although he sought to appeal his conviction, alleging juror misconduct, a judge denied the request during a court appearance on Jan. 8, 2026.
Weinstein was also convicted in California in 2022 on charges that he raped an actress in a Beverly Hills hotel. That conviction, which netted him a 16-year sentence, still stands. He’s now awaiting his upcoming retrial for a third count of a criminal sexual act relating to aspiring actress Jessica Mann.
In her lengthy statement, Arquette pointed out that Weinstein “was a giant in our industry,” adding that “his taste in material was exquisite, and his ability to get artistically significant films made is unparalleled.”
“He had a keen eye for finding great filmmakers, and we, as artists in the industry, benefitted from his gifts,” she went on, acknowledging that the Rikers Island complex “is a horrific place,” after Weinstein claimed in THR interview that he’d been a victim of violence while behind bars.
"Its existence is a condemnation of our justice system, and I firmly believe it should be shut down," she said. "I wish Harvey Weinstein success in getting transferred to a more humane prison. His human rights, and the rights of every prisoner, are as important as every other human being's and deserve to be upheld."
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In his THR interview, Weinstein claimed that women told their stories, “For a lot of reasons. But mainly because there’s money involved.”
Arquette insisted in her statement, “Let me be clear: I never profited, nor was I ever compensated in any way, via lawsuit or settlement, by Harvey Weinstein or Disney or any other party with respect to my assault,” adding, “The only film produced by Harvey Weinstein in which I was cast is Pulp Fiction.”
Arquette said, “I do not know what motivated Harvey Weinstein to accuse me of exaggerating sexual assault for an imaginary personal gain. But, I do know this: When the manipulation (or outright denial) of facts concerning rape and sexual assault is coming from an unrepentant abuser, survivors are victimized again in the re-telling. It’s trauma, re-inflicted.”
She insisted she hopes that members of the industry and greater society “keep survivors at the forefront of our hearts and minds, as we continue to navigate the aftermath of adjudicated crimes perpetrated by the most powerful among us.”
“I believe in forgiveness, and I forgave Harvey Weinstein long ago. Not because he asked for it (a necessary first step in redemption, which he has failed to take), but because I didn’t want to carry the resentment,” Arquette concluded. “I didn’t, and still don’t, want my life defined by assault or retribution. I wish I didn’t have to write this, but the interview happened. And I felt that both the false accusations made against me, and the fog he attempts to weave by denying facts, called for a response.”
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