Former child actress Jurnee Smollett opened up about her experiences of sexual harassment on every film and TV set she’s worked on since she was 12-years-old. She also spoke about her brother’s case for the first time.
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During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jurnee Smollett discussed her experiences on set as a child actress and said she had experienced sexual harassment throughout her career on every film and TV set with the exception of one. She says, “I don’t know that I can confidently say that I worked on one job prior to ‘Lovecraft’ — from the time I was 12 on — where I hadn’t been sexually harassed, whether it was by an AD, a co-star, director, producer,”
Smollett added that she would often notice her male co-stars would comment on her body before a love scene or asked to be removed from the film completely if things went out of hand on set. Additionally, her former agent would brush off the sexual harassment and say they’re “just being a man.”
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She also addressed her brother Jussie’s high profile case after he staged a hate crime in Chicago last year. Smollett stands by her brother and said it has been “f****king painful” due to the public scrutiny he’s faced within the past year. She also filed for divorce from her 10-year marriage to musician Josiah Bell earlier this year.
“[It’s] one of the most painful things my family’s ever experienced — to love someone as much as we love my brother, and to watch someone who you love that much go through something like this, that is so public, has been devastating.”
Due to the nature of Jussie’s case, she is unable to discuss it any further since the investigation is currently ongoing.
SOURCE: Madame Noire