LOS ANGELES – Uma Thurman posted video Monday of a car crash she says left her with permanent injuries and nearly took her life after director Quentin Tarantino talked her into performing a stunt on the set of “Kill Bill” in Mexico.
The actress spoke about the video in a bombshell interview to The New York Times over the weekend. Thurman also broke her silence about Harvey Weinstein, detailing a series of disturbing incidents, including an alleged assault in his London hotel room.
Thurman said the crash happened after director Quentin Tarantino told her she had to hit 40 miles per hour in a car she described as a “deathbox” with a seat that “wasn’t screwed down properly” while driving over a sandy road.
Thurman said in the Instagram post she is grateful to Tarantino for risking damage to his own reputation by releasing the video years later, “regardless of it most likely being an event for which justice will never be possible.” She excoriated Weinstein and two others for what she says happened after the incident, however.
“THE COVER UP after the fact is UNFORGIVABLE,” she wrote. “For this I hold Lawrence Bender, E. Bennett Walsh, and the notorious Harvey Weinstein solely responsible. They lied, destroyed evidence, and continue to lie about the permanent harm they caused and then chose to suppress.”
“The cover up did have malicious intent, and shame on these three for all eternity,” Thurman wrote. “CAA (Creative Artists Agency) never sent anyone to Mexico. i hope they look after other clients more respectfully if they in fact want to do the job for which they take money with any decency.”
Speaking out about Weinstein’s alleged assault
Saturday’s article, by New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd, described the actress as “furious” that more legal action has not been taken against 65-year-old Weinstein. The Miramax and Weinstein Company co-founder was ousted from his professional roles last fall when allegations against him first surfaced publicly.
When reached for comment Saturday, a representative for Thurman said the Times article “speaks for itself” and declined to comment further.
Through a spokesperson, Weinstein has previously denied allegations of sexual assault.
When reached for comment regarding Thurman’s allegations, a spokesperson said Weinstein was “saddened and puzzled” by her allegation of assault.
Weinstein’s representative also sent photos that the spokesperson said “demonstrate the strong relationship Mr. Weinstein and Ms. Thurman had had over the years.”
“Mr. Weinstein acknowledges making an awkward pass 25 years ago at Ms. Thurman in England after misreading her signals, after a flirtatious exchange in Paris, for which he immediately apologized and deeply regrets,” the spokesperson said. “However, her claims about being physically assaulted are untrue.”
Dozens of women have come forward publicly to accuse Weinstein of misconduct following explosive reports in the New York Times and the New Yorker last year about his treatment of women, including young actresses with whom he worked. He has been accused of rape, assault and other forms of sexual misconduct. His representative said he sought treatment after the allegations were made public and that any allegations of non-consensual sex were “unequivocally denied.”
The decades of alleged abuse by Weinstein set in motion an ongoing anti-harassment movement that’s been punctuated by campaigns including “#metoo.”
It’s had ripple effects across multiple industries, taking down powerful men in the media and business worlds.
Thurman hinted months ago that she too had something to say about Weinstein. Last Thanksgiving, she wished everyone a happy holiday on Instagram, but added a scathing caveat: “Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators – I’m glad it’s going slowly – you don’t deserve a bullet.”
Thurman also told Dowd that, as she relived her experiences with Weinstein, she also drudged up another painful memory – the crash on the set of “Kill Bill” that left her badly injured and put her professional relationship with Tarantino on shaky ground.
The Times published footage of the incident, which Thurman says she obtained after 15 years.
She described the event as “dehumanization to the point of death.”
“Harvey assaulted me but that didn’t kill me,” Thurman told Dowd. “What really got me about the crash was that it was a cheap shot. I had been through so many rings of fire by that point. I had really always felt a connection to the greater good in my work with Quentin and most of what I allowed to happen to me and what I participated in was kind of like a horrible mud wrestle with a very angry brother.”
A representative for Tarantino did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Thurman and Tarantino also worked together in her star-making role as Mia in 1994’s “Pulp Fiction,” which Weinstein produced.
CNN contributed to this report.
