Yael Stone —the star of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black— has accused Geoffrey Rush of sexual misconduct. A claim that Rush denies.
Stone accused Rush of inappropriate behaviour whilst the two were working together on a 2010 production of The Diary of a Madman. The accusations were published in an interview with New York Times.
The report alleges that during the production, Rush exposed himself to Stone, sent her “erotic” messages, attempted to spy on her whilst she showered and danced naked in front of her.
Geoffrey Rush has released a statement, vehemently denying the accusations, read it in its entirety below:
“From the outset, I must make it clear that the allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by Yael Stone are incorrect and in some instances have been taken completely out of context. However, clearly, Yael has been upset on occasion by the spirited enthusiasm I generally bring to my work. I sincerely and deeply regret if I have caused her any distress.
This, most certainly, has never been my intention. When we performed in The Diary Of A Madman 8 years ago, I believe we engaged in a journey as artistic comrades. Over the years we have shared correspondence that always contained a mutual respect and admiration.
As I have said in the past, I abhor any behaviour that might be considered as harassment or intimidation to anyone – whether in the workplace or any other environment.”
Rush is currently involved in a defamation case against Australian tabloid newspaper The Daily Telegraph over a series of articles published that alleged Rush behaved inappropriately towards a female castmate of a 2015 production of Shakespeare’s King Lear.
The actor, Eryn Jean Norvill, has accused Rush of “deliberately” touching her breast in front of an audience during the production. Norvill has claimed that the interaction left her feeling “trapped” and “frightened”.
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